Anybody know what kind of stain I can use on Birch plywood that would make it come close to looking like teak? I need to stain it first, then I'll follow with Spar Urathane. James H23
Stain for plywood
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yes
MINWAX Gel Stain Mahogany 605 Got it at Wal-Mart. The bottom piece in the picture is unstained teak. The other pieces are birch plywood.
MINWAX Gel Stain Mahogany 605 Got it at Wal-Mart. The bottom piece in the picture is unstained teak. The other pieces are birch plywood.
exactly
thanks Larry, exactly what I was looking for. If thats Birch, How did you Simulate the teak and holy. I need to redo my floorboards also. What did you use for the holly? did you groove the plywood or rip it into strips and then glue it all up? James
thanks Larry, exactly what I was looking for. If thats Birch, How did you Simulate the teak and holy. I need to redo my floorboards also. What did you use for the holly? did you groove the plywood or rip it into strips and then glue it all up? James
Probably too much work
WARNING: If you are not extremely patient I do not recommend trying this. Cut the boards from birch plywood. Smooth and sand the boards. Stain all surfaces of the boards. Use 1/4" straight router bit to cut grooves. I set up a rip fence to ensure straight and uniform grooves. You will have to do some testing to determine correct router depth. The inlay is white birch edge tape from Woodcraft. It came in a 7/8" width and I had to cut it in 1/4" strips. I tried several methods and the one that worked best was just eyeballing it and cutting the strips free-hand with very sharp scissors. The inlay tape has heat sensitive glue on the back. It is critical that you get it hot enough to get a good bond. Don't even THINK about sanding the new striped surface. If you do, you will quickly learn how shallow the stained layer of the birch really is. Seal everything really well with sanding sealer. This should fill and voids and hopefully, provide additional strength to hold the inlays in place. Apply several coats of your finish coat. I lightly wet-sanded between finish coats. The sealer and finish I used was Ultimate Sole. I had used it before and was amazed at how good it looked and how durable it is for years after it is applied. The real teak in the photo is just a refinish of an existing piece that was in good enough condition to reuse. It had open grooves already cut in it. I cut birch strips to fit and made the light colored inlays. It is also finished with Ultimate Sole. Keep in mind when you are sealing this stuff; birch is NOT a good wood to use in a marine environment. It has "little natural resistance to decay, and will deteriorate rather rapidly if exposed to damp, outside conditions without proper chemical protection." That means you have to do a really good job of sealing every surface. Have fun.
WARNING: If you are not extremely patient I do not recommend trying this. Cut the boards from birch plywood. Smooth and sand the boards. Stain all surfaces of the boards. Use 1/4" straight router bit to cut grooves. I set up a rip fence to ensure straight and uniform grooves. You will have to do some testing to determine correct router depth. The inlay is white birch edge tape from Woodcraft. It came in a 7/8" width and I had to cut it in 1/4" strips. I tried several methods and the one that worked best was just eyeballing it and cutting the strips free-hand with very sharp scissors. The inlay tape has heat sensitive glue on the back. It is critical that you get it hot enough to get a good bond. Don't even THINK about sanding the new striped surface. If you do, you will quickly learn how shallow the stained layer of the birch really is. Seal everything really well with sanding sealer. This should fill and voids and hopefully, provide additional strength to hold the inlays in place. Apply several coats of your finish coat. I lightly wet-sanded between finish coats. The sealer and finish I used was Ultimate Sole. I had used it before and was amazed at how good it looked and how durable it is for years after it is applied. The real teak in the photo is just a refinish of an existing piece that was in good enough condition to reuse. It had open grooves already cut in it. I cut birch strips to fit and made the light colored inlays. It is also finished with Ultimate Sole. Keep in mind when you are sealing this stuff; birch is NOT a good wood to use in a marine environment. It has "little natural resistance to decay, and will deteriorate rather rapidly if exposed to damp, outside conditions without proper chemical protection." That means you have to do a really good job of sealing every surface. Have fun.
C
Chris
Another way
is to groove the ply like Larry did (only I used a table saw set to just cut less than the first layer of the ply) and then to fill with white wood filler from Home Depot. It comes in a plastic tube. I first stained the ply, then applied a THIN coat of satin varnish, then cut the grooves, then filled using a putty knife to squoosh the filler in and leave it a little proud, then sanded with a finishing sander to take off the excess filler. Finally, eight coats of satin varnish. Inditinguishable from teak and holly. If you want to brighten up the interior, use a maple or oak stain and mahogany filler, reversing the pattern. It works! Any way, either method is great. Good luck.
is to groove the ply like Larry did (only I used a table saw set to just cut less than the first layer of the ply) and then to fill with white wood filler from Home Depot. It comes in a plastic tube. I first stained the ply, then applied a THIN coat of satin varnish, then cut the grooves, then filled using a putty knife to squoosh the filler in and leave it a little proud, then sanded with a finishing sander to take off the excess filler. Finally, eight coats of satin varnish. Inditinguishable from teak and holly. If you want to brighten up the interior, use a maple or oak stain and mahogany filler, reversing the pattern. It works! Any way, either method is great. Good luck.
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