Finished a new batch of boards and tried a few finishes... here's what I learned:
1. Birch plywood lensboards are strong and work well, but they are hard to matching the finish on my 8x10 Kodak 2-D and Century Universal Studio Cameras.
2. Ebony (black) stain does not dye the birch plywood wood "black" evenly, see the photo below.
3. Sealing plywood with a coat of finish, e.g., MinWax Polycrylic, help achieve a more even application of stain on plywood.
4. Applying more and more pigmented stain to make the wood darker will eventually result in the wood looking like it was painted brown, see the photos of "mud brown" finished lensboards below.
5. Painter's Touch Black Gloss is a latex paint that is produces a high-gloss finish, see the photos of the 9x9 black gloss lensboard below. And, it is relatively ease to achieve a good brushed finish.
6. MinWax Polycrylic Clear Satin has a very nice surface finish. The surface finish of semi-gloss version of this product simply sucks IMHO.
7. Foam brushes work well for application of MinWax Polycrylic.
8. My favorite paint finish on lensboards is lacquer paint, see the photos of the two 6x6 lensboards below.
9. Painting the backs of lensboards flat black is worth the effort.
What works well for you?
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