Carpentry and Woodworking - Can very smooth Birch wood be stained?

Hi

It's a 24" by 48" from home depot. It seems so very very smooth that the stain might not take.

Thanks
Debra:)

No raw wood is so smooth that stain won't take. It may not stain very dark. Wipe it down with mineral spirits and get a feel for how well it soaks in. That will give you some idea. Birch does stain nicely. Each piece of wood is different. Tight grain will take stain less readily than more open grain.

Mineral spirits won't harm the wood. When it evaporates, it leaves no residue.

In any event, you ought to sand it with 220 grit paper before staining to make sure that any sheen that may be on the wood from handling is removed.

Hope this helps.

Wow, Thanks for the quick reply Chris:)

I will do as you say and get the spirits and sand it some.It's very tight and seems to have a sheen it's so smooth.

Should i sand first then use the spirits?

Thanks a Million!
Debra

Sand first, the use the spirits.

Thanks Chris:)

Very helpful:)

Blue

When purchasing cabinets from Home Depot, etc that are in a raw state, you need to start with 100 grit, then 150. There really is no reason to go up to 220. If you notice in the wood, you'll see "MILL MARKS" Mill Marks are lines that are run across the grain, which are caused by the planing machine. If you don't sand these out they WILL stand out like a sore thumb.

Mike

Ps Birch is a very blotchy wood like Maple. I recommend you use Minwax Pre-Conditioner before you apply any stain. This Pre-Conditioner acts like a wax and helps prevent the stain from soaking in too far, which is what causes the blotchy look. It will turn out a bit lighter than putting it on without it, hence that the Pre-Conditoner is acting like a barier from blotching

Hi

I will be doing this project (Making a cabinet door) this weekend.

I have one question..

Will the Minwax Pre-Conditioner make the door too dark?

I want to keep it light ,something like a light gold stain.

I don't want to ruin the color with any Conditioner if it makes it dark.

Thanks so much : >
Debra

No Debra,

The Pre-Conditioner will NOT make it darker. It will actually make the wood LIGHTER, because the Pre-Conditioner acts as a barier to keep the stain from penetrating in the wood too much, which is what causes the "Dark" areas which are known as BLOTCHING

Thanks a bunch:)

I'll let everyone know how it turns out when done.

Thanks again for taking the time to reply:D

Debra

Well Debra,

That is what we are here for. Ask any questions you'd like. :)