Selecting wood/finish for wainscoting

[gfernandez]

I am in the process of starting to finish my media/music room in the basement and am going to be installing wainscoting in the room. I have done this once before using Birch lumber and plywood with less than spectacular results, mainly due to the finish being somewhat splotchy (yes I did use the wood conditioner). I used a Minwax product available at the big box stores.

Since this is going to be quite a bit of wood to stain....my question is what wood species do you recommend that may be easier to work with in terms of ease of staining, final product, etc. We are going for a mahogany type finish.
I realize that this is also dependent on what brand of stain is used, and the skill level of the person applying the stain, so any and all thoughts would be appreciated!

I am looking to purchase everything from the Hardwood Store in Gibsonville, and am looking at Birch, Cherry or Maple, since they have these in both plywood and lumber.

Thanks for your input!

 

[DaveO]

I have found that Red Oak is probably the best wood to stain. Solid wood and plywood take the stain equally well. If you are going for a Mahogany look, the open pores of the Red Oak will work well with that. Maple, Birch and Cherry are very closed pore, tight grained woods and don't take stains well...leading to blotching.
Another thought is to use a gel formulated stain, it is easier to control the application with that type of formulation. And if you are going to stain the wainscoting after installed the thickness of the gel will be your best friend.

MTCW,
Dave

 

[Travis Porter]

It depends on what you want to spend. As Dave noted, red oak stains well, and IMO white oak stains well too. You could also check out Sapele, but that may be too expensive.

FWIW, if you go with a splotchy wood (maple, cherry, birch, etc), I would use an alcohol diluted dye instead of a stain. I am on the finishing stages of a large set of cabinets out of maple and dyed every piece of wood and if I say so myself they look good.

 

[jeff...]

Since this is going to be quite a bit of wood to stain....my question is what wood species do you recommend that may be easier to work with in terms of ease of staining, final product, etc. We are going for a mahogany type finish.

If you want mahogany - go with a clear finished mahogany lumber... else you'll end up with something that looks like a freak... lipstick on a pig is still a pig. Whoever invented wood stain should be taken out back and be beaten. Remember they don't call it stain for nothing, that's exactly what it is... stain.

 

[jeff...]

FWIW, if you go with a splotchy wood (maple, cherry, birch, etc), I would use an alcohol diluted dye instead of a stain. I am on the finishing stages of a large set of cabinets out of maple and dyed every piece of wood and if I say so myself they look good.

I bet it does, alcohol based dye :thumbs_up stain :thumbs_do

 

[gfernandez]

Thanks for all the suggestions guys!

Dave, unfortunately, I do not really like the red oak look, but have thought of using quartersawn white oak (I have this thing with clear grain, or grain that is uniform, I know, it's me, not the wood but what are you going to do)

Travis,
I have not looked at the sapele. I am trying to find something I can buy in lumber, plywood and crown ( I know, I really am asking a lot here). If I could find brazilian cherry plywood, that may also work.

Jeff, I have thought long and hard about the mahogany, but am questioning the time it would take to use filler, seal it, etc. I have made a few pieces with mahogany before, and it really is a great finish. The thought of trying to finish a whole room is somewhat intimidating.

Again, thanks guys!

 

[Gofor]

Jeff: not sure I understand. Is a dye over the sealer and part of the coating and a stain colorant absorbed into the wood fibers? If not, what is the difference?

Go

 

[Travis Porter]

You can get plywood in about any species you want from Raleigh Hardwoods, Steve Wall Lumber, or the hardwood store. All in all, Sapele looks about like mahogany. There are many places that will do runs of crown for you. For that matter, you can get bits from Freud for your router to do crown moldings now.

If all that is too much, I suggest getting the dye and sticking with birch. Dye is easy and is much faster than staining to me.

Just my .02

 

[scsmith42]

Gonzalo, have you thought about building your wainscotting from solid boards instead of plywood? To me, there is nothing better looking than original wainscotting.

For some reason, the grain pattern on plywood just doesn't do much for me, as opposed to solid wood.

 

[Jim Murphy]

For some reason, the grain pattern on plywood just doesn't do much for me, as opposed to solid wood.

And you are confused about this? Here's a clue: plywood grain is UGLY. Flat sawn oak with that horrendous cathedral pattern is only slightly less visually offensive. If it's worth doing, it is worth doing with quartersawn stock.

But you knew that.

 

[jeff...]

Jeff: not sure I understand. Is a dye over the sealer and part of the coating and a stain colorant absorbed into the wood fibers? If not, what is the difference?

Go

denatured alcohol dye is transparent and consistent in color and does not block the grain from showing which helps make the grain pop in figured wood. Mineral spirit based stains are not transparent and are basically a oily mud mess that obscures the grain. With dye splotching is a thing of the past with stain splotching is always a challenging. Double dye (apply twice) sanding in between coats is very common for coloring musical instruments and fine furniture wood. If you like the natural color variation in wood but want to change the base color of the figure try dye. if you want to obscure the grain then stain.

take any mixed stain put a little in a mason jar hold up to the light - it's not transparent - now do the same with dye - you'll "clearly" see the difference.

Here is a article on water based dye - I personally like to use DNA instead of water because it drys supper fast.

http://www.woodworkingseminars.com/wp-content//WaterBasedDyes.pdf

Thanks

 

[scsmith42]

And you are confused about this? Here's a clue: plywood grain is UGLY. Flat sawn oak with that horrendous cathedral pattern is only slightly less visually offensive. If it's worth doing, it is worth doing with quartersawn stock.

But you knew that.

Hey Jim - haven't heard from you in a coon's age! Glad to see that you're still feisty as ever!

I think that all of those years in management must have made me more PC than you... but in essence we're thinking along parallel lines...:gar-Bi

 

[Travis Porter]

And you are confused about this? Here's a clue: plywood grain is UGLY. Flat sawn oak with that horrendous cathedral pattern is only slightly less visually offensive. If it's worth doing, it is worth doing with quartersawn stock.

But you knew that.

Aaahh, but you have been frequenting the BORG too much. Flat sawn, rift sawn, and quarter sawn plywood are readily available. I have used some gorgeous quarter sawn oak plywood, and would readily do it again.

The cathederal looking plywood can be a bummer, but once you find some of the others, It makes a world of difference.

 

[mkepke]

Ditto. I'll probably get a dirty look for this, but understanding that this is for some frame and panel wainscoting, then rotary cut plywood can look good too provided: 1) some care is taken choosing the plywood and 2) a given panel is kept to 12" or less (about the width over which the grain pattern starts to repeat).

-Mark

 

[Travis Porter]

:realmad::realmad:

Seriously, I agree with you. Another point would be to keep the arches all going up for consistency and look.:icon_thum

Ditto. I'll probably get a dirty look for this, but understanding that this is for some frame and panel wainscoting, then rotary cut plywood can look good too provided: 1) some care is taken choosing the plywood and 2) a given panel is kept to 12" or less (about the width over which the grain pattern starts to repeat).

-Mark