Ever find some materials that you just love working with?
Here are mine, selected for joy of handling in my work, as follows:
1. Sherwin-Williams BAC Wiping stain, especially colors that use the Chestnut Base (more of a neutral walnut brown), which is nice as a straight color but also used to make other colors that include my fav Traditional Cherry No. 3214 (warmer and tastefully, well, cherry). These just flow on so smoothly, they are a pleasure to apply! Personally, and this is extreme subtlety, I find that that a quart of cherry 3214, the stuff they mix in-store, seems to handle a wee bit better than the factory pre-mix — but that could be the free Keurig coffee while waiting
2. Deft Spray Lacquer in aerosol can. This is a “nitro” (nitrocellulose) clear finish also favored by guitar and mandolin makers, etc. Spray in thin coats, recoat in 30 mins. Starts looking amazing on fourth coat. Starts to dry before your eyes! Sanding between coats NOT required, but I lightly sand with superfine sandpaper (or steel wool 000-0000) after first coat. Just wipe after sanding with dry soft cloth - the next coat will melt and remaining dust back into the finish. Available in gloss, semi-gloss, and satin. Can later be polished if you are a fanatic.
3. Minwax Pre-Stain. Usually not needed for hardwoods like oak but if you have a more absorbent wood, Pre-Stain applied prior to stain will lessen absorption of stain into the wood and greatly help to give an even coverage of stain. Especially useful if you use a dark stain on softwood like pine or spruce. Stain before this stuff dries on the wood!
The stain and lacquer also happen smell yummy as only a woodworker can appreciate, but I wear a 3M respirator mask with two 3M (NIOSH) vapor cartridges (US$39) to keep from inhaling spray and vapors. Most places stock Medium in the masks, but a Large fits me better: here is the painter version at Homey Depot 3M-Large-Paint-Project-Respirator-Mask
Knock yourself out and please share your favs!
Paul Chaplo
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
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