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Woodworking Discussion Forum
Elizabeth
Member since Aug-14-07
70 posts |
Jan-21-08, 12:21 PM (EST) |
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"On Poplar"
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Dear All: Hope every one's holidays were great. I'm still working with the trays and have a question on Poplar. Is it in the nature of Poplar to accept stain in little dots resembling digital pixels? Or, am I still not sanding properly?  The two trays I've stained look "pixelated". When I looked at the wood in reflected light I saw no indication that this would happen. What am I not seeing? I'm almost finished sanding the third tray and I needed your opinion before I proceed. Thanks.
Hope you are well, and thank you for your support.
Elizabeth
one step forward two back
BTW: I'm done with the first tray  and I'm posting photos in the other forum for you to see. I'm in despair on the second tray and I'm hoping not to repeat my mistakes on the third tray.
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TDHofstetter
Charter Member
12303 posts |
Jan-21-08, 12:43 PM (EST) |
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1. "RE: On Poplar"
In response to message #0
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Hi, 'Lizabeth! That sounds like a bad (old, maybe?) batch of stain more than anything else. A poor sanding job would show fine streaks where the wood was scratched & the scratches not removed by more sanding with finer papers. -- Tim -- Member of the
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dbriski
Member since Jan-26-06
745 posts |
Jan-21-08, 04:42 PM (EST) |
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3. "RE: On Poplar"
In response to message #0
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You may need to test out what type of stain you need to use for poplar (or any other kind of wood). There are 4 basic types of stain. Pigment Baised stain (Minwax etc), Aniline Dye, Gel Stain, And another type of Dye I forget the name that is in Danish Oil. Get one of each of these types of dyes, Get some test boards ( about 1'x6") and test each of these type to determine which one will work with the type of wood you are using. Each of these types of stains will color different woods differently, some will blotch some will blend grain better, some will make grain pop. For blotchy type woods like pine and in your case poplar it is good to use Gel stains. For Woods you want to pop the grain like curly maple, Aniline Dye is good, but it is very bad for woods that blotch. David http://www.briskibusiness.com Custom Made Wooden Pens
http://www.briskibusiness.com/woodworking Custom Furniture and Cabinetry |
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ww_wanna_be
Member since Apr-6-04
447 posts |
Jan-22-08, 02:14 PM (EST) |
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4. "RE: On Poplar"
In response to message #0
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Liz, i agree with Timster on this one, though the other replies are also quite fitting. My first table was Poplar coffee table, three widths of 1x6, with only the center board with any heartwood (greenish stuff)...... Limey suggested using Danish oil, so i bought Watco, Cherry and applied 3 coats.... that was 3 years ago... no topcoat, but it still looks great (wife's opinion) Only caution about wiping on the watco, you MUST let each coat dry thoroughly before the next... the last took almost a week. Despite all the mediocre reviews some give to poplar, i've enjoyed using it, have a few niece pieces and can afford it more than some other species. Good luck, Jerry Sharp Member of the
Robert "Limey" Bolton Memorial
International
Volunteer Mentorship and Assistance
Programme "A candle loses nothing lighting another."
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Sawduster
Member since Sep-2-04
12092 posts |
Jan-24-08, 12:08 PM (EST) |
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6. "RE: On Poplar"
In response to message #5
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Went and looked at your pics and see what you're talking about, although it looks pretty darn good, actually. What it looks like to me is that you are getting some very miner blotching. Before you do the next one, wipe a coat of Zinnser Seal Coat (this is a 2 lb cut of dewaxed shellac) on a piece of scrap from the same bunch of wood. Let it dry a couple hours, then sand lightly using a sanding block and 220 grit sand paper. What you want to do is remove most of the shellac from the outer surface of the wood while leaving it in the pores. Now apply your stain. If it still seems to blotch, flip the board over and repeat, except apply two coats of the Seal Coat, sanding lightly between after each coat. Now try your stain. If it still gets blotchy, or pixilated then I don't have a clue what is causing it. Jerry 
A "Charter Member" before the crash of '04. The true test of the skill of a craftsman is his ability to recover from his mistakes. I'm just practicing real hard for that test. Visit my woodworking website:
http://www.sawdustersplace.com
 
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ww_wanna_be
Member since Apr-6-04
447 posts |
Feb-05-08, 08:12 AM (EST) |
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11. "RE: On Poplar"
In response to message #10
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Liz, it's not uncommon to "seal" with a thin coat of shellac, sand it and add your stain/dye of choice..I think Tim or Jerry said recently, "everything sticks to shellac." My first experience using Poplar was a coffee table using Watco wipe on cherry... three coats, each taking more time to dry than the previous, but I did not even put a finish over it, and 3 years later LOML still loves it and except for g'kids bouncing keys off one edge, it's no worse for the wear, and I've not gotten any rings from glass or cups sweating on the surface. HTH, Jerry Sharp Member of the
Robert "Limey" Bolton Memorial
International
Volunteer Mentorship and Assistance
Programme "A candle loses nothing lighting another."
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