Cal tries to tell us he just lurks here...


> On 20 Feb 2020, at 15:46, Cal Meier  wrote:
> 
> Hi,
> I generally lurk somewhere under the porch normally asking or commenting one
on one to a true porch members.
> Today I need some advice.  In central Louisiana southern yellow pine, solid
wood doors, are much more common and much cheaper that Douglas Fir or Hemlock my
parent’s and grandparents had access to.  I am going to be applying a “finish”
to from four to six doors (four panel solid pine).  I was planning on using one
pound cut clear shellac as a sealer and them apply a jell stain to at least
achieve a light or moderate redish brown.  I planned to apply Shellac to fight
the blotchiness I sometimes see in stained pine.  Then I started thinking
(always dangerous),

I would begin by asking myself exactly what he finish has to do, but I presume
you have already done risk evaluations- potential damage, likelihood of repairs
needed, access to bright sunlight and all so let’s get to the meat of the
question.
Controlling colour in troublesome timber.  
I have found, over the years, that everything I need to colour (color, Paddy)
benefits from beginning with the blondest, wax free shellac I have.  Even so,
this will alter the colour slightly, and is pretty permanent, in that as it is
going on to bare wood, you can never get it truly out again.
That said, you can generally take off whatever you put on next, if it is not
spirit based.

After the seal coat, de nib, and stop to examine all the wood for areas of side
and end grain.  Areas around knots, even the pin knots, will have grain that
dives or surfaces (same thing as far as this is concerned).  These are areas to
be wary of.   Consider laying down another seal coat over bad areas.
Make up your first colour coating at half, or less strength, and apply
generally.  Your tricky areas may now be right, rest too pale.  If you’re using
shellac,  you hand apply over the areas to darken with another layer.  If using
a stain, water or other base, then again, apply with care on ‘just’ the areas
needing it.   Depending on the depth of colour needed, how many coats have been
successfully creeping up on it and so forth, you may want to seal what you’ve
done so far.  Typically, end grain areas arrive at the wanted colour, and you
avoid them as you. Complete the rest.   These are the ‘blotches’ you are trying
to and you avoid them by identifying them up front and localising them as you
proceed.
Many thin coats are your friend.  I like to use Van Dyke crystals for colour,
being water based, and eco friendly, the colour is easy to put on, and take off,
if the base is shellac sealed.
Finally, of course, you seal the whole thing with something overall - garnett
shellac if you want, but the point is that you have already tamed the blotch and
sealed your before you add the final colour, or depth of blonde finish, so the
last coats are trouble free.  A coat or two of garnet followed by several
blonde, french polished back to gloss and it will look like a batch of pianos
for doors,


Richard Wilson 
Yorkshireman Galoot In the Borders