Wood Type

[Leo Ladzinske]

I'm going to build a Two drawer bookcase for my Grandson. He would like the finish to be black stain. The bookcase is in Woodsmith Vol 20 No.120 dated Dec 1998. Would poplar wood give good results for this project with black stain? It seems wasteful to use an expensive wood with black stain.

[jteneyck]

Poplar takes stain very well. But how dark "black stain" is your grandson looking for? If the answer is "Very dark." I'd use milk paint and then topcoat it with a clear finish. GF's milk paint and High Perf. Poly are a great combination for a truly black finish. If the answer is "Dark, but not opaque." I'd think about GF's Ebony Gel Stain, followed by HP Poly.

John

[Howard Acheson]

Poplar is not considered an "expensive wood? In fact it's one of the inexpensive woods.

The problem with staining it is that it does not stain evenly. It will blotch unless steps are taken to control the stain's penetration.

Whatever you do, make the first step a making of a sample board. Prepare a board of the same species just as you would for staining. Apply the stain(s) of you choice to sections and see how it comes out. This is what experienced or professional finisher do.

[Leo Ladzinske]

What steps should be taken to prevent blotch?

[JR1]

I use TransTint dye in shellac or colored shellac so I don't need to worry about blotching. I'd use Black Shellac and at least 3 1# cots adding TransTint #6023blak if it's not dark enough. Shellac is easy to adjust the color just add more shellac or add dye. Remove some shellac using DNA and wiping if you get it too dark. You can apply shellac by wiping or spraying (brushing also works but is much fussier). You can then topcoat with a good waterborne if you want or just leave the shellac (it's very easy to repair).

[Scoony]

Howard Acheson said:

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Poplar is not considered an "expensive wood? In fact it's one of the inexpensive woods.

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It is expensive if you get it from Lowes or Home Depot.

I do agree that poplar is tough to stain or dye without blotching.

If I wanted black furniture, I would probably look at using ash.

[Doug_H]

Leo,

First, I doubt that blotching will be an issue if you are going for black. Because you are going for a black finish, washcoating (see below) may actually work against you because it reduces penetration of oil stain.

I recommend that you try one coat of thinned black oil-based paint on a piece of scrap from the same wood supply you will use to make the bookcase. Thin it enough so that it soaks in well. If that does not give you the results you want try this: I have used NGR black dye (e.g. Behlen Solar-Lux) followed by Minwax ebony oil stain with good results. I sealed the oil stain with a coat of dewaxed shellac (e.g. Bullseye Shellac in the spray can not the brush-on) but with poplar you can probably skip this step.

When the wood is the color you want, finish with a topcoat of varnish.

But to answer your question about blotching. Blotching is a problem when you are trying to stain wood within the range of medium tones. More dye or stain soaks into some parts of the wood, making it darker than the others. You can prevent blotching by using a washcoat of thinned shellac or varnish. Minwax wood conditioner is available where Minwax stains are sold. It is very dilute oil/varnish. The label says to apply your stain before the wood conditioner dries. I think it's better to let it dry overnight, despite label instructions.

An alternative is a fast drying sanding sealer diluted 1:3 with a mixture of naphtha and mineral spirits (quicker) or just mineral spirits. When I use sanding sealer as a wash coat, I pour the clear supernate off, leaving the white stuff in the can as much as possible. Flood the mixture on, wipe off. It will feel hard dry in 2 hours (usually). Lightly scuff sand. Stain.

Always try a test piece first!

Best of luck

Doug

[rschissler]

I know all about blotching wood, but if you are using a black stain (black not dark gray), is blotching really something you should worry about?

[Cooler]

I would consider baltic birch. It comes in sheets. The edges can be left as is, just sanded smooth. It is strong. Most joinery methods work, and it is not affected by seasonal shrinkage.

But--not much in the way of grain. So not too much wood character. If you are going for a deep black, you can almost paint it.

I've seen Baltic Birch listed at $120.00 per 4' x 8' sheet--about $3.75 per square foot. (12 mm = about 1" thick)

See: http://www.edensaw.com/MainSite/Store1/S...ctList/378

5' x 5' x 3/4" = $55.00 = $2.20/square foot

[jasfrank]

Cooler, up here 12mm is just under 1/2"