Finishing Pine T&G

[Augus7us]

I mentioned in another thread I had planned a tongue and groove wall in my shop. All the lumber arrived the other day and I find myself needing advice on how best to finish this.

I have sixty 8" x 10' boards I need to finished. From what I'm reading I am tending towards no stain and some type of polyurethane or using a tinted shellac then a poly.

End game, I would like the boards to be a little darker then they are. I've read they will darken up over time but I did like the idea of using tinted shellac first.

Your thoughts on tinted shellac then poly?

On the subject of poly do I want water or oil based?

 

[The Cobbler]

I did my pine with the vinegar & steel wool trick. it puts tanin into the wood & makes it look aged. I diluted mine down so it wasn't' too dark. I really like the look.
I put 3 or 4 coats of oil based satin urethane on it. (actually I think 2coats were gloss because I have a bunch of it
here's one of several links on ( including mine) here with the Steel wool/vinegar trick https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=327531&

 

[The Cobbler]

post 46 & 47 in this thread shows my finished product https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=6255520#post6255520

 

[zeke67]

It might be a little late for you, but I did pre-finished T&G in my cabin. It doesn't have a tint to it but will golden with time. Huge time saver, if you can, maybe send yours back and get pre-finished?

 

[Jackfre]

You will want to hit it with Seal Grip, a sanding sealer prior to putting any color to it. Otherwise it will blotch and look psychedelic or Daliesk at least.

 

[nadogail]

IMHO, A good varnish will protect the finish you choose.

My opinions are guaranteed to be worth exactly what you pay me for them.

 

[rayra]

You're going to find that milled pine takes stain poorly. Results are often blotchy with a high degree of color contrast in the more open grain of knots and cuts. First coat it with something like Minwax's 'Pre Stain' -
https://www.minwax.com/wood-products/preparation/minwax-prestain-wood-conditioner

Do a stain test on a piece of scrap before your full application to see if you mind the untreated result.

 

[Augus7us]

When you guys are talking about stain are you talking shellac? I'm not planning on buying minwax walnut stain or anything similar. I'm referring specifically to tinted shellac. It was in an article I read.

Thanks Cobbler, I read through those threads and the first was definitely to dark but yours was closer to what I'm looking for. Think wood in steak restaurants, like a dark yellow with a hint of orange. Perhaps I should just put a top coat on and let it age natrually. But I was intrigued by the tinted shellac and was curious if anyone had experience.


Edit:

Well fellas I think I found my answer in this article. Amber shellac. If we are to believe the author this is what our grandpa's used to finish knotty pine back in the day. And when I think about the color amber going over that wood it seems like its going to produce what I want.

https://retrorenovation.com/2012/05/22/amber-shellac-the-classic-finish-for-knotty-pine/

 

[Augus7us]

You're going to find that milled pine takes stain poorly. Results are often blotchy with a high degree of color contrast in the more open grain of knots and cuts. First coat it with something like Minwax's 'Pre Stain' -
https://www.minwax.com/wood-products/preparation/minwax-prestain-wood-conditioner

Do a stain test on a piece of scrap before your full application to see if you mind the untreated result.

Yeah I had this problem when I stained my stairs. I don't want to relive that nightmare. I'll do some tests, like you mention, and see how it turns out.

I think my mind is now set on amber shellac and a urethane finish coat. Either satin or semi gloss...

I imagine I need to sand these before coating? I did buy a new palm sander after all Hit them with 220 and smooth them out or should I do something else?

Thanks All!

 

[Glemon]

I was going to suggest Amber Shellac, it darkens very slightly and gives the wood a warm glow. Probably will want to do 2-3 coats, it will "amber up" more as you go. It dries about 10x faster than polyurethane, so you need to work it quickly to get a good smooth coat.

I am by no means a woodworker, but have done quite a few projects over the years, poly works fine, but I think Shellac really brings out the beauty in the wood. It also smells a lot better than poly.

Check the date code on the can, has a shelf life, more info here: https://www.popularwoodworking.com/...og/user-unfriendly-zinsser-bulls-eye-shellac/

 

[spudley]

Shellac is a good choice as pine is a bit tricky to get even coverage without some type of conditioning. Amber shellac gets pretty deep orange on pine as additional coats are applied.

You could try blending a bit of amber with blonde shellac to get a lighter color.

If you go with poly, water based will stay lighter toned longer than oil base which will have a more golden tone right out of the can. Both deepen over time.

 

[twistedstang]

Amber shellac all the way. Stains will look blotchy on pine. Shellac is a great old school finish that will let the wood darken with age

 

[mike93lx]

If you want low odor, bona amber seal and bona traffic would do well. The amber will darken and the traffic dries nice and clear with essentially no odor. We did our floors with it a couple years ago and slept in the house the night after it was applied

 

[Showkey]

You will want to hit it with Seal Grip, a sanding sealer prior to putting any color to it. Otherwise it will blotch and look psychedelic or Daliesk at least.

AGREE blotchy stain on pine is a huge concern. Stain conditioner is usually required to get even color and helps to avoid the blotchy.

IMHO, A good varnish will protect the finish you choose.

Varnish might look yellow, golden or Amber very quickly........might be good might be bad.....test, but some varnishes will not age well.ye

My opinions are guaranteed to be worth exactly what you pay me for them.

Shellac is a good choice as pine is a bit tricky to get even coverage without some type of conditioning. Amber shellac gets pretty deep orange on pine as additional coats are applied.

You could try blending a bit of amber with blonde shellac to get a lighter color.

If you go with poly, water based will stay lighter toned longer than oil base which will have a more golden tone right out of the can. Both deepen over time.

AGREE .......tricky is an understatement.
Depending on the look a transparent “wash” stain can provide protection, even color. Similar to exterior house stain.

Bleeding and sap around the knotty areas can also be a concern.

The boards need to sanded, they will feel waxy when “new”. They will darken naturally with age often Amber or reddish change with UV alight exposure.

 

[geneg]

Watco danish oil finish. Available in a variety of colors, depth of color can be controlled by wipe off & number of coats, gets better with age.

 

[Marctrees]

You have another problem not yet brought up.

Your boards have "planer ripple" that will show if you stain them and clearcoat, but not so much show if you clearcoat w/o staining.

On "fine" work the only way to eliminate planer ripple is to sand it out... ALOT of work in bulk square footage situations.

The point is you need to test finish some 1-2 foot pieces w the method you are considering BEFORE you start doing the pile.

I all cases you WILL need to sand after the first clear coat NO matter what it is or you will end up w a VERY rough finish.

After you lay on the first coat of clearcoat it will dry with many sharp little nubbins all over.. TOTALLY normal.. a quick light "scuff" sanding will knock down allll those little stubbins and leave a white dry powder... NO need for tack rags, just shop vac clean, the re coat.

That is best done on T+G by fully finishing them before installation, roller for the clearcoat on sawhorses, sand, second and last WET coat of whatever clearcoat you choose.... THEN install.

Again, believe me now or cry later.

Listen to me now or cry later........ I guarantee.

Marc

 

[Marctrees]

Watco is quick and easy, but gives a clearly oiled finished rather than a "coated" finish.

Be aware fire danger when disposing Watco rags... I almost lost a house to it spontaneous combusting.. if i slep a few hours later the house wolda been on fire.

 

[tj675]

We did amber shellac in our last home. It was a nice look and held up well on the tongue and groove pine.

 

[rayra]

yes, sand if you have the patience. It should open up the grain somewhat, remove the milling marks / ripple mentioned above and give the shellac some 'tooth' to hold better.
But man it's a lot of boring work.

 

[spudley]

After you lay on the first coat of clearcoat it will dry with many sharp little nubbins all over.. TOTALLY normal.. a quick light "scuff" sanding will knock down all those little stubbins and leave a white dry powder...

Best to listen to Marc and or you'll be haunted by nubbins and stubbins.

 

[jskicet]

Just built a log home and my detached garage. I just went with oil based clear from the manufacturer that Southland Log homes uses/sells. The oil base darkens the white pine just a bit, almost a pecan color. Water base is perfectly clear (inside). I did the house and garages with the oil base clear and it looks good.

 

[GoneCountry]

We did amber shellac in our last home. It was a nice look and held up well on the tongue and groove pine.