New Aquarium Base

[FVReefer]

I am finishing the new base we built with water based stain from Minwax. I am very unhappy with it. It just does not seem to penetrate the Oak at all. When you wipe it off, you have your original bare wood you started with. When I purchased it, I asked if I could lacquer over it and they said yes, so now I am going to tint my lacquer as well. Anybody else have any experience with it?

[nellie54914]

Hi Barry (this is barry, right?)!

That's the brand we've been using for all of our woodwork on stuff we've redone (molding, doors) but we used the oil-based so ours worked fine. Hope your next step helps!

[moujon]

Hi Barry- I'm not a big fan of the water based stains for oak. To me they just seem a bit "muddy". Gotta have the fumes to get the good grain penetration.

Can you sand it down and go with an oil based over the top?

[scooters reef]

I always use oil based as well. It penetrates much better. I also don't like the water based Polycrylic and switched back to regular poly, although I often use hand rubbed tung oil and paste wax, that doesn't work well with a tank :)

Now that the finish is already there, instead of starting over or messing with tinting lacquer, you might want to look at one of the minwax one-step poly finishes for it. Here's a link to them: http://www.minwax.com/products/onestep/polyshades-color.cfm

Also, while it is primarily to help with even stain absorption in white woods, I've found that the Minwax wood conditioner helps penetration to some degree on just about any wood.

[RonSF]

I do a lot of finishing work and I say be careful with the Polyshades. It is closer to transparent paint than stain and is very difficult to get even. I spray water based polyurethane that I tint myself when I want to add camouflage to a finish, but I have a full spray setup including booth. If you are doing this at home and using a brush or rag I'd try to start over and go the oil based route. Also, what scooters reef says is correct in that oak can look splotchy and cheap sometimes, depending on the cut. If it really is bare wood and you have coated it in an ineffective water based stain you might just be able to put the oil based right over the water based and achieve a happy medium in depth of penetration with a more uniform look. Is there an inconspicuous area you can test it? If that doesn't work you will need to sand it again to start over. Good luck.

[FVReefer]

Can't sand and start over. The veneer on the plywood is simply too thin, and I am already on the edge. I have commercial painting equipment, so I am confident the lacquer will look great. I have never had any luck with Polyshades. I does not give me the "deep" look I want. I have refinished many restaurants using tinted lacquer. Covers well, and still has the look I want. The other issue I have with the pre mixes is that nobody has black. They have some pretty dark stuff, but it all has a brownish tint to it. Hopefully it will be done by the time we host the June Meeting, but I will not "unveil" it until everybody has had at least two or three cocktails ;-) .... and yes .... this is Barry. lol

[scooters reef]

RonSF,

I agree. I never tried the Polyshades myself. Was just an idea at a fix.

:) I need a spray booth ! I seem to forget what the finish is called, but do you spray the "little splotches" to break up imperfections, etc? I've had past projects I wish I could have done that with, but can't figure out a way to do it well in a home shop.

Also, he mentioned lacquer. I haven't used that since I was a kid in my Grandfather's shop. Did use shellac more recently because I always liked the depth it seems to give, but doubt anything but some kind of poly would be good for a marine tank stand.

Also learned a lesson: You can't use a shellac finish for the depth, and then top with poly for protection. The poly peeled right off and the project started over :( Will leave that stuff to my Grandfather! Although, he is entertained I use Tung oil so much, he said that's what HIS dad always used. My Grandfather never used Poly, as it wasn't nearly as easy to work with as it is today. Well, supposedly. Not sure if anything really changed or if it was just a learning curve for those used to using bug poop to finish furniture :)

[scooters reef]

Oh.

Well, if you have the equipment, spray er down :) Hope I can manage to make it to the meeting to see it !

May still want to try oil based stain on top of the water based and see how it looks. Could still add a little tint to the finish to get more depth.

[moujon]

The only black stain I've found was at Ace Hardware- "Country Colors" by General Finishes- New Berlin WI. It's a water based color stain.