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charlie
Newbie
2 Posts |
 Posted - 11/30/2006 : 21:34:13
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| I recently made a poplar coffee table. I now realize it probably was not the best wood to use. On a scrap piece I stained it and it came out blotchy. On another piece of scrap I used wood conditioner and then stained it and it was still blotchy. So as not to ruin my coffee table I decided to just poly it but I dont like the blond look. Is there anyway now that I can add some color to this piece. I dont mind it having an antiqued look but I dont know what to do now. |
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woodchips
Journeyman
21 Posts |
Posted - 01/02/2007 : 16:55:28
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Coloring poplar is not the place to cut your teeth in the wild world of wood finishing. Poplar is often used in medium to high end furniture and after the complex coloring routine is generally hard to distinguish from many other hardwoods, particularly walnut.
Too bad you already have most of your finish on your project and will not be able to complete this complex finishing unless you want to strip the finish and start again. Your options at this point are to put some colorants in the finish and spray your project. Start with a light amount of colorant and after testing on scrap. You will be able to darken the look with more coats of the same finish.
In a nutshell applying color to poplar needs to be done with a spray method to avoid the problem you initially encountered.
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oldtimefinisher
Journeyman
USA
37 Posts |
Posted - 01/14/2007 : 23:07:47
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The next time your finishing, start out by making up a complete sample.
Changes are, if you applied a second or third coat of the oil and then stained it, there would not have been blotching in the stain.
Samples can teach you how to finish, because you see the problems before you finish your work.
Mac S |
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bobklein
Newbie
USA
2 Posts |
Posted - 01/20/2008 : 12:56:12
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poplar has been used for a couple of hundred years. it stains well, takes any color you throw at it. problem is that what some call splotchy others call contrast. generally people want a consistent color rather than a contrast in grain areas. that being said, in order to get a consistent, painted type look with poplar you must spray stain, with or without a pre sealer, doesn't matter. what does matter is knowing that you cannot brush stain poplar like walnut or mahogany or oak, to mention a few. Using this method, sand, spray a coat or two of lacquer, either lacquer sealer or magnalac type, rub it out with a no fill paper then in your next coat of lacquer add some NGR stain or lacquer shading stain, which ever you are used to or like best. NGR is easier to use, two ounces in a quart is plenty then spray two to four coats, do not rub, then spray a few coats of clear then rub. if it is not dark enough do it again.
bobklein |
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bobklein
Newbie
USA
2 Posts |
Posted - 01/20/2008 : 13:01:23
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just to clarify, there are other ways to stain poplar. this includes using 'wiping' stains or 'penetrating' stains, whether or not they are pigment or dye. it is just that there is a learning and practicing curve that i did not feel that you may have time for. if, in the future, you want to get the clearest most controllable coloring I would use penetrating oil dye based stains. the drawback to dye based stains is that they are not as light fast as pigmented stains.
bobklein |
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David DeCristoforo
Craftsman
USA
87 Posts |
Posted - 01/23/2008 : 18:01:56
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"...there are other ways to stain poplar..."
That reminds me of one of my more embarrassing "finishing moments". A friend had bought an old library table that was made out of QS oak. At least it looked like QS Oak. But it was very light in weight which, looking back, should have tipped me off. They wanted it refinished. So I merrily began to sand off the "old finish" and to my amazement, the beautiful QS oak figure began to vanish before my eyes! Well, it turned out it was not made of QS oak at all. It was a poplar table "faux finished" to look like QS oak, something I soon learned was very common in the 30's when this table was made. So I (very sheepishly) went back to my friends and explained to them that their beautiful oak table was now an ugly poplar one. Fortunately they were not at all upset since they had bought the table for a song at a yard sale and after staining the table with a nice mahogany color and polishing it up, they were quite happy with it. Of course the trade off was I didn't get paid! Don't know what I would have done if it had turned out to be the table their grandma died on or something and here I had gone and ruined it. Anyway, that's one more way to finish poplar!
DD |
"Never chew haf time to do it right...
But alvays chew find time to do it ofer....."
The Old German Cabinetmaker |
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finishing poplar furniture help please
