I Need a darker finish for poplar or pine

[Tom Jones III]

I've got some neighborhood kids that have been working quite a bit in my shop and learning enough to actually make decent furniture. One boy has made a fairly nice bookshelf out of poplar, but he insisted on a mahogany stain. The result was very blotchy but he seemed satisfied. For large projects I've been using poplar and pine with them but they always want a mahogany or walnut looking finish.

The boys want to get together to make a loft bed. I'm happy to buy enough pine to make the bed and to work with them on building it, but I don't know what to do about the finish. What are my best options for getting a decent looking finish out of pine? Is it even possible or should I give up and buy red oak for the boys? They are good kids and are working hard so I would like for them to have a nice project when they are done.

Thanks for all the help, finishes are my weakest point.

[Jim Becker]

I have worked with a lot of poplar over the past 7 years...off my property, even. I use water soluble dyes to color it followed by shellac as a sealer and barrier coat. Here's an example:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachme...7&d=1102904509

The same technique will work well with pine, too.

[Steve Schoene]

Jim is right on with dye as the first step. That way you get a lot less blotching and dramatically more control over the overall darkness than with wiping stains. For hobbyists, dye is probably the most underutilized tool in the finishing arsenal but it makes it much easier to achieve really nice results, and really is quite easy to use--and even reversible if you make a mistake.

[glenn bradley]

Minwax (and others) have a color called 'Jocobean'. Very dark brown.

[Jim Becker]

Minwax (and others) have a color called 'Jocobean'. Very dark brown.

Yes, they do...but you want to avoid a pigment stain on pine--it can look really terrible unless you go to all kinds of trouble to "pre-condition", etc. That's why I (and Steve) recommend a dye.

[Tom Jones III]

Thanks guys, I knew you would have a good answer.

[Mark Miller1]

Guys - I have a similar situation, but using Knotty Alder on my project. Will a water soluble dye raise the grain? And if so, wouldn't this mean I still need to apply a pre-conditioner first?

I'm not smart enough to author this question on my own, I found this topic discussed at: http://www.homesteadfinishing.com/ht...nsFastdyes.htm

If there is a way to avoid the pre-conditioner, I would certainly like to find it.

[Steve Schoene]

Yes, a water mixed aniline dye will raise the grain, but the solution isn't to use a pre-conditioner.

There are two ways to deal with raised grain. The traditional way is to dampen, with water, let the grain raise and then when dry LIGHTLY sand off the raised grain before applying the dye. This reduces, but seldom completely eliminates the raised grain.

The way I prefer is just to apply the dye, let the grain raise as it will. Then apply a 2 lb. cut coat of shellac. (You can also use the first coat of any other top coat, but the shellac is quick and sands pretty well.) Then lightly sand off the grain nibs that have now been fixed in place by the hardened shellac. Take care not to cut through the dye, though if you do you can probably touch it up pretty well--the touch up will only "take" on the sand through spot and be wiped off where the shellac wasn't breached. Subsequent finish coats will be smooth.

[Mark Miller1]

Awesome. Thank you. One more question, if you don't mind. As for topcoats, do I have any options other (or "better") than polyurethane? I do not have spraying ability as the entertainment center I have built is inside the house, which I believe eliminates laquer. I've been told not to use brush-on laquer, but I can't recall why.

Tom - I don't mean to takeover the thread. You hit on a very current topic for me as well.