So I've got some 2x4's cut, glued up and square.. looks great right? Not so much... Starting out I wanted this stand to be inexpensive, but look great.. I went back and forth on finishing woods and decided not to compromise.(well maybe. I didn't get burled walnut) I decided to go with Maple. I've got a really nice sliding compound miter saw(still in the box at the time) and my buddy has a decent router and table saw. One trip to the lumber yard and after 2:30am on a Saturday we've got cabinet doors and all the routing completed. Not perfect, but for my first cabinet doors ever I am pretty happy.
Now as it turns out, and unbeknownst to me at the time.. Maple is a very tricky wood to stain. It's so hard and so uniform in grain structure that any irregularities stand out... In contrast to walnut, which a fourth grader could stain because walnut is so drastically and beautifully irregular. So trial and error for a couple weekends trying multiple stains, dyes, gels, sanded finishes, pre-conditioners and so on. I finally found a combination that delivers the dark rich color I'm looking for, in this hard blonde wood. For those who are wondering, that combination is as follows. Final sanding to 120grit (150 was to fine for the stain to take well), wipe down with a rag dowsed in mineral spirits and while still wet with mineral spirits apply General Finishes "Java" gel stain liberally. As soon as you apply, wipe off completely. Two coats separated by 12hours really does the trick..
But you are going to have to wait to see the results because I still have alot of sanding and finishing to do! However I did just finish coating all the pine which will be hidden away in the bowels of the stand with a healthy coat of walnut colored Dutch oil. This will help seal the wood and prevent warping. I also did something else to this stand that I thought was clever. I created a recessed bottom and fully rubberized it. So that when (not if) I spill water, it will be contained in the stand and be an easy cleanup. It should also hold around 9 gallons of water should a leak occur.
Teaser pics attached.
Now as it turns out, and unbeknownst to me at the time.. Maple is a very tricky wood to stain. It's so hard and so uniform in grain structure that any irregularities stand out... In contrast to walnut, which a fourth grader could stain because walnut is so drastically and beautifully irregular. So trial and error for a couple weekends trying multiple stains, dyes, gels, sanded finishes, pre-conditioners and so on. I finally found a combination that delivers the dark rich color I'm looking for, in this hard blonde wood. For those who are wondering, that combination is as follows. Final sanding to 120grit (150 was to fine for the stain to take well), wipe down with a rag dowsed in mineral spirits and while still wet with mineral spirits apply General Finishes "Java" gel stain liberally. As soon as you apply, wipe off completely. Two coats separated by 12hours really does the trick..
But you are going to have to wait to see the results because I still have alot of sanding and finishing to do! However I did just finish coating all the pine which will be hidden away in the bowels of the stand with a healthy coat of walnut colored Dutch oil. This will help seal the wood and prevent warping. I also did something else to this stand that I thought was clever. I created a recessed bottom and fully rubberized it. So that when (not if) I spill water, it will be contained in the stand and be an easy cleanup. It should also hold around 9 gallons of water should a leak occur.
Teaser pics attached.
