I have a couple of projects nearing the finishing stage and I need some advice on how to deal with the Birch ply used in the pieces. In the past when finishing or staining the plywood it would blotch badly and I need to know how to avoid this. I know there are some pre-stain conditioners out there, but I usually use a gel stain to match the plywoods up with the hardwood combinations in projects. Anyone got advice on what to use here. I have the ability to spray finishes if that helps.