Finish for plywood

[Aggie]

Hi all

I would like to know what is a good finish to use on the plywood pictures and a good way to apply it.

[lawson56]

I myself use MinWax with a sponge brush.depending on how many coats you want to apply.lightly sand the 1st coat then apply the 2nd.If were talking Clearcoat.

[amazingkevin]

3 hours ago, Aggie said:

Hi all

I would like to know what is a good finish to use on the plywood pictures and a good way to apply it.

i spray mine with Spray It from the big box store ,Put in what ever you want to spray .

[Scrolling Steve]

I use Minwax stains and or a mix(50/50) Blo and mineral sprits !....Blo = Boiled linseed oil.

[kmmcrafts]

Really depends on what it is that I am finishing.. 

Portraits, I use spray polyurethane satin or semi gross spray.. I like the water based stuff as it dries fast.. typically sand between coats then apply another and depending sometimes 2-4 coats..

For most anything else I make with plywood.. or most any other thing... I make my own finish from beeswax and mineral oil. I apply with those metal handled acid brushes and let it set for a few hours.. then I take my wife's hair dryer ( don't tell her LOL ) and on high heat setting I melt the wax down into all the little nooks and crannies and then wipe and blow with air hose out off the excess wipe it all off.. awesome non-toxic finish without strong smells.. makes it easier for my online selling because I can literally ship it out the same day I finish it.

If time isn't an issue for the smells etc and I'm feeling too lazy to do the brushing etc of the beeswax mineral oil mix stated above.. then i will use Natural color Danish oil and just pour it into a foil baking pan dip the projects and lay them out on a board covered with paper towels to drip dry..

 

[hawkeye10]

50 minutes ago, kmmcrafts said:

Really depends on what it is that I am finishing.. 

Portraits, I use spray polyurethane satin or semi gross spray.. I like the water based stuff as it dries fast.. typically sand between coats then apply another and depending sometimes 2-4 coats..

For most anything else I make with plywood.. or most any other thing... I make my own finish from beeswax and mineral oil. I apply with those metal handled acid brushes and let it set for a few hours.. then I take my wife's hair dryer ( don't tell her LOL ) and on high heat setting I melt the wax down into all the little nooks and crannies and then wipe and blow with air hose out off the excess wipe it all off.. awesome non-toxic finish without strong smells.. makes it easier for my online selling because I can literally ship it out the same day I finish it.

If time isn't an issue for the smells etc and I'm feeling too lazy to do the brushing etc of the beeswax mineral oil mix stated above.. then i will use Natural color Danish oil and just pour it into a foil baking pan dip the projects and lay them out on a board covered with paper towels to drip dry..

 

You can buy a heat gun at Harbor Freight for $8. I have been using one for about 5 years,

[Lucky2]

Aggie, for me, I usually pour the finish over the project to finish it, no matter if it's plywood or solid wood. What I do, is I use two parts ployurethane, and one part paint thinner  mixed together. I lay the project flat in a large cookie sheet, then I slowly pour the mixture over the whole thing, making sure to fill and cover all of the project. Then when finished covering it with the mixture, I take it out of the mixture and let it drip off the excess back into the cookie sheet.After allowing the excess to drip off for a while, I wipe the extra mixture off with a rag. Then I hang it to finish drying the mixture, I will check it out every so often to see if there's any finish bleeding from the open spaces. This may seem to be a lot of work, but it really isn't once you've done it.

Len

P.S. I only use this dip or pour method on flat surfaces, I've never tried it on 3 demensional projects.

Edited June 16, 2017 by Lucky2

[Bill WIlson]

I spray most of my fretwork, plywood or otherwise, with shellac.  Reason being, shellac dries very fast.  You can hit it from multiple angles, with several light coats, to get it into all the nooks and crannies, without worrying about puddles and runs.  I use a cheap HVLP, gravity fed spray gun and get good results.  Shellac also cleans up very easily.

[barb.j.enders]

Okay, not sure if this is where the comment belongs.  Just finished reading this thread and the other one about finishing.  I am lost!!! I am just using either Minwax Tung & Teak oil or Watkins Danish oil.  I thought that was all that was needed to finish a piece.  Am I missing something????  At this point I mostly cut bb ply stuff.

[Scrappile]

I use a 50/50 mix of MS and BLO.  to bring out the grain and when that dries I spray a few coats of Deft clear over it.  I put the Deft on so it has a hard smooth finish, makes it easier to dust.  just an oil finish will collect dust and it is not easy to remove.  I live in a dusty area.

[Bill WIlson]

6 hours ago, barb.j.enders said:

Okay, not sure if this is where the comment belongs.  Just finished reading this thread and the other one about finishing.  I am lost!!! I am just using either Minwax Tung & Teak oil or Watkins Danish oil.  I thought that was all that was needed to finish a piece.  Am I missing something????  At this point I mostly cut bb ply stuff.

As long as you're satisfied with the results, there is nothing wrong with the products you are using.