Wood finish...

Please use this area for off topic conversations and banter
Post Reply
JimC
Posts: 1721
Joined: Sun Oct 03, 2004 10:24 pm
Location: Surrey
Contact:

Wood finish...

Post by JimC »

Now I know some of you folks wood bash other ways than boats so...

I've been building a new speaker cabinet for my bass guitar rig, since changes in tech mean it can be made smaller and take up less room in the house than the old one. As things are at the moment its not going to go out on the road that much, but will spend some time in the house, so the typical r'n'r coat of black emulsion seems a bit off. Its built off standard wood merchants hardwood ply, and a lot lighter than most using boat building tech, but what I'd really like is to try and make it look vaguely furniture like, although it will still have black corners and handles and stuff.

So what I want is a nice deep coloured look like hardwood finish that will take knocks pretty well, and be repairable. So I reckon I'm maybe going to have to stain the wood and then put on some kind of finish? But at least it doesn't have to be particularly waterproof. A satin or semi matt finish would probably be better than super gloss to my thinking?

Suggestions? And not too pricey - already over budget...
Gavin3G
Posts: 16
Joined: Thu May 28, 2015 9:28 pm

Re: Wood finish...

Post by Gavin3G »

Hi Jim, in another life I made some Tudor Furniture, our secret recipe was linseed oil thinned with meths. also Pine restorers used this. you can stain underneath it not sure what with - a bit of watercolour paint?? boot polish- more probable! I guess yo would need to sand it all down nicely first . gives a soft matt finish. rub it in and it disappears quick, more coats nicer lustre.
Gavin
User avatar
jpa_wfsc
Posts: 1188
Joined: Sun Dec 04, 2005 9:52 pm
Location: Oxford (Work) Coteswold Water Park (Sailing)

Re: Wood finish...

Post by jpa_wfsc »

Linseed oil can be bought with dye in, or you could dye it with any oily dye, to get any colour you like. It will always breath and move with the wood, and minor dings can be simply polished out with the same. It OK for permanent outdoors if you top it up with a light coat every time it looks a bit old.
j./

National 12 "Spider" 2523
Finn K468 'Captain Scarlet'

British Moth, 630, early 60's 'Pisces'

!!!! Not CVRDA !!!!
Comet Trio - something always ready to sail.
chris
Posts: 2474
Joined: Sat Sep 18, 2004 7:43 pm
Location: somerset

Re: Wood finish...

Post by chris »

Some of the varnishes sold for wooden floors come in various shades ie with stain in. The first coat looks poor but build up several layers and the colour becomes much more even. It is quite quick drying too and obviously pretty tough.
JimC
Posts: 1721
Joined: Sun Oct 03, 2004 10:24 pm
Location: Surrey
Contact:

Re: Wood finish...

Post by JimC »

To catch up, I went with Chris' floor varnish, which did the job nicely.

I now have another one... I've made a case for an instrument from left over moth building materials, to wit cedar plank sides and ply top and bottom. This one isn't going to go on the road but it will be pulled in and out of cupboards, and the cedar will dent like crazy I imagine. It looks kinda cute in spit of a number of errors in the building, and it would be nice to give it basically a clear or only lightly coloured finish.

Linseed oil? Or what?
chris
Posts: 2474
Joined: Sat Sep 18, 2004 7:43 pm
Location: somerset

Re: Wood finish...

Post by chris »

Linseed would certainly work, make sure it is boiled not raw. You can then use a wax polish if you want a little more sheen.
However I would suggest danish oil or any of the furniture oils available in all diy shops as having a few advantages. Such as: more durable and harder, can build up to whatever finish you like, dries much more quickly than linseed which can stay moist for a day or two on certain woods, and come in a range of colours from quite clear to tinted ina variety of natural wood shades, and is much more water and heat proof. Linseed will bring out the colour of the timber but will darken and won’t build a sheen.
JimC
Posts: 1721
Joined: Sun Oct 03, 2004 10:24 pm
Location: Surrey
Contact:

Re: Wood finish...

Post by JimC »

thanks Chris
JimC
Posts: 1721
Joined: Sun Oct 03, 2004 10:24 pm
Location: Surrey
Contact:

Re: Wood finish...

Post by JimC »

Thanks again Chris, I used an allegedly cedar tinted danish oil, which has brought the meranti ply and tthe cedar sides and ends reasonably close together.
ahcase_n.jpg
chris
Posts: 2474
Joined: Sat Sep 18, 2004 7:43 pm
Location: somerset

Re: Wood finish...

Post by chris »

Looks good, Jim
Post Reply