Advice on finish

[garfield]

Hi All,

I'm wondering if a few of the experienced woodies in here can tell me how i would stain or paint and end up with that furniture shop finish? Do i spray stain or rub it in, use oil..?? I'm planing on making my kids a couple of loft beds and when they're done I'm thinking of staining them in that Blue wood stain for my son's bed and in the pink for my daughter's and i want to end up with a finish as if I'd brought them in the shop (if you know what i mean)... I want that not real shiny, but not quite mat finish if that makes sense to you all? basically like a stained bed you'd see in a furniture shop

I've made a couple of small pieces of furniture before and my method was to rub in stain with a cloth and then sprayed a lacquer over it, using my compressor and spray gun, but have found that the finish isn't that good. So if someone has a couple of tips for me that would be great.

Thanks in advance

[echnidna]

After you rub the stain in give it a couple of coats of lacquer based sanding sealer.

Let it cure overnight before applying the lacquer top coats.

Scuff back lightly with 120 -150 wet and dry between each coat.

You might need 6 or more topcoats to get a first class finish

[joe greiner]

Gil Jones used calligraphy ink on this piece. It was his Show'n'Tell at our club a while back, and it really looks good.

http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/showthread.php?t=47466

Here's a bigger picture:

http://n-fl-woodturners.org/images/2007-04/2007-04-04.jpg

Joe

[garfield]

So the best method is to rub the satin in? Is that the best and easiest way to stain? And I would lacquer by spraying?

[echnidna]

Lacquer is sprayed.

There are spray stains made for lacquer.

If you use an oil stain slop it on wipe excess off ,
then seal it with a coat of shellac before the sanding sealer/lacquer

[garfield]

So one coat of stain rubbed in is enough then? Also do I you mix your lacquer with something to make it a good consistency? I've found in the past that It has blotched or run....

[garfield]

After you rub the stain in give it a couple of coats of lacquer based sanding sealer.

Let it cure overnight before applying the lacquer top coats.

Scuff back lightly with 120 -150 wet and dry between each coat.

You might need 6 or more topcoats to get a first class finish

So you rub it in with a clean rag? - or something else particular? You only give it one coat of stain? And you spray a couple of coats of lacquer, and in between you lightly sand?

[waikune]

If you are looking for a Furniture Shop finish then I suggest you are looking at a finish with about 30% gloss

First you must decide what stain to use Industrial / Retail
Suggest you stay with Industrial ie. Options are
1 Pigment Wiping Stain
2 Spray Stain
3 Spirit Stain

1 is pigment 2&3 are dyes
1 is easy to apply ie wipe on wipe off, but can/will hide the grain
2 is a spray product and much easier to apply then 3
3 is a dye stain and should be left to the tradsmen

Next it is important to seal with a spray quality sealer, sand this and then top coat with at least 2 coats of top coat 30% gloss lacquer. Most manufacturers supply TDS's (technical data sheets) with all the data required.

Hope this helps.

[garfield]

If you are looking for a Furniture Shop finish then I suggest you are looking at a finish with about 30% gloss

First you must decide what stain to use Industrial / Retail
Suggest you stay with Industrial ie. Options are
1 Pigment Wiping Stain
2 Spray Stain
3 Spirit Stain

1 is pigment 2&3 are dyes
1 is easy to apply ie wipe on wipe off, but can/will hide the grain
2 is a spray product and much easier to apply then 3
3 is a dye stain and should be left to the tradsmen

Next it is important to seal with a spray quality sealer, sand this and then top coat with at least 2 coats of top coat 30% gloss lacquer. Most manufacturers supply TDS's (technical data sheets) with all the data required.

Hope this helps.

Thanks very much Waikune