staining oak veneer?

[gimpy]

Quick question. I plan on staining (golden oak stain) oak veneered mdf with the Minwax "Wood Finish" that "penetrates, stains and seals". Do I need to use a "Pre-Stain" Wood Conditioner (also from Minwax) on the oak veneer? Any suggestions on using a clear finish on this (in door use only).

Thx, for suggestions/advice.

Frank

[BerniePA]

I've never had a problem using it without a conditioner on oak veneered plywood, not sure if the mdf would make a difference with penetration of the stain. I usually used a finish of 3 - 4 thin coats of 50/50 naphtha/poly wiped on, seems to work well.

[SARGE..g-47]

I use gel stain as it doesn't penetrate much but.. sealing is usually done on soft-wood as soft-woods pores will allow penetration (especially in an oil based stain) which can blotch due to deep penetration in pores and shallow penetration in early wood. It just doesn't get even. Should not be necessary with oak.

I.. Iike Bernie, wipe-on two coats of semi-gloss poly-naptha cut to 70% p-30% n.. then finish with 2-3 coats of cut satin poly 60% p-40% n. Let it cure for about a week and then wax with Liberon using 0000 steel wool to apply which dulls the surface to a degree to take off high shine.

Good luck Frank..

[Rand]

I used that stain on my entertainment center. No wood conditioner needed.

[drumpriest]

Oak is literally the only wood that I've ever stained, oak veneer ply never has any problems taking an oil stain. I suspect the gel stain may give a more even appearance though, as Sarge suggests.

[gimpy]

Thx, for the suggestions. I plan on working on it this weekend. I've never used a gel stain or a mixture for the finish. I will have to think/look into that.

Frank

[robtonya]

I used oak veneer on my bath vanity. It stains great. I did however use a grain filler, because I wanted a smooth finish. I actually used Bartley's, but their website is down. Here is a similar product http://www.briwax.com/products/grain_filler.htm

I'll see if I can get some pictures up of my progress.

[robtonya]

more pictures. I always have a hard time resizing them.

[Richard in Smithville]

Are you thinking about the " all in one" minwax? That's the stuff that is really a tinted poly. There's not really any penetration of the wood. Now, staining veneer may not be a problem as the veneer is really, really thin so anything you apply won't soak in very deep anyway. I would be concerned about the mdf "pulling" the finish through the oak but the poly in the finish should slow this down.

You may try thinning with mineral spirits and try on some scrap first. You will have to build up a few coats this way but it would give you more control.

[gimpy]

robtonya, that's a pretty nice looking job you've done there. I've sanded the veneer a little bit using 150 grit (I think). Not much, just enough to sand down/smooth some wood filler that I used in a couple of places.

I think that it will be nice enough tomorrow to try experimenting a little on some of the scrap that I have. The stain my better half has chosen is "golden oak" by Minwax. The color on the can looks pretty close to the other I am trying to match.

Sarge and Bernie, I will check with HD and see if I can get some poly and naptha to try. It will be new to me. In fact, just about any stain/poly I try will be new to me. Can you tell I have not done this much?

Anyway, thx again for all your help/advice.

[SARGE..g-47]

You'll discover just how easy wiping is compared to using a brush. Just mix.. let the bubbles settle.. put some in a small plastic container. Fold a cotton rag and just wipe it smoothly on. Don't rub it and keep the tip you have folded straight up. That will tip off the poly will you apply.

When cut like that.. it is very easy to apply. You just need more coats to build the finish as part of what you are putting on is naptha which will evaporate quicker. But the naptha is also solvent for poly so it allows it to just flow on evenly without drag.

Have fun and keep it ventilated...

[robtonya]

robtonya, that's a pretty nice looking job you've done there. I've sanded the veneer a little bit using 150 grit (I think). Not much, just enough to sand down/smooth some wood filler that I used in a couple of places.

I think that it will be nice enough tomorrow to try experimenting a little on some of the scrap that I have. The stain my better half has chosen is "golden oak" by Minwax. The color on the can looks pretty close to the other I am trying to match.

Sarge and Bernie, I will check with HD and see if I can get some poly and naptha to try. It will be new to me. In fact, just about any stain/poly I try will be new to me. Can you tell I have not done this much?

Anyway, thx again for all your help/advice.

Thanks. I should note that this is also the first time I did it too. I'm happy with it.

[dealweb]

Robtonya, nice vanity. So what color stain and brand did you use and what girt sandpaper did you use prior to staining?

Did you using the grain filler before or after staining?

[gimpy]

Well, after trying the stain on some scrap, I decided that it did not match exactly the other. It came out just a little bit darker. So, what I wound up doing was returning the stain and buying some poly. I think that will match up pretty good (just finish without any stain). I put one coat on Saturday afternoon, but had company Sunday and did not get a chance to put on any more coats.

I did use some MinWax wood filler before brushing on the poly (sorry, Sarge, I didn't read your post until afterwards). I will be able to tell you a little more on how it looks after a couple more coats of the poly. I did not use a lot of the filler, just a little here and there to match up the edges a little, then I wound up sanding most of it off. So, it is pretty hard to see/tell the filler is there. Actually, the color matches up pretty well with the veneer.

It's going slow, but I'm getting there.

[robtonya]

Robtonya, nice vanity. So what color stain and brand did you use and what girt sandpaper did you use prior to staining?

Did you using the grain filler before or after staining?

Sorry for the slow response. I used a stain I got at Woodcraft, here is a link http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=5555

It was the General brand. Here is what I ended up doing.

1. stained it in a cherry finish
2. applied the Batrley's grain filler. (I bought both kinds for dark and natural. I ended up mixing the two together to get the color I wanted.)
3. sand it off using a random orbit sander, going through the grits, I think I ended on 320. It left the filler in the grain, but actually took off the first layer of stain, except what was covered by the grain filler.
4. stained it with General's mahogany finish (which is darker than the cherry)
5. some areas I used General's java colored gel stain, such as the rosettes to give it a antique type finish.
6. I bought a poly that was in a can, and sprayed it on, used steel wool in between coats. I figured the spray on would give me the smoothest results.

Like I said, this was my first time doing this, and was the first cabinet I ever built. I know I had to make some mistakes, but I am happy with the end result.