Expert: Jamie Yocono - 9/27/2007

Question
QUESTION: Hi Jamie,

First of all, I have no experience with woodworking. I went to a lumberyard and asked for the best wood to use for bookshelves that would require minimal sanding and just clear "stain" to seal (no polyurethane or lacquer).  I was given solid poplar shelves.  Eight of the shelves are going into 2 built-in cabinets with doors (they originally had clothes railings). The ninth shelf is thicker and going over my desk, so it will be very visible.

As I try to prepare for this simple project, I realize my lack of knowledge is making even this a challenge! I need to sand the 4 sides to remove splinters (the 2 end-grain sides and the 2 with-grain sides, the 2 flat "sides" are fine). I want to get the right sandpaper so I do not scratch the 2 with-grain sides, but I'm getting a lot of differing opinions.

I'm planning to use Minwax Natural stain. Is this sufficient or do I need to use the pre-stain wood conditioner first?  And do I need to apply a protective finish after staining or in place of staining since I want the stain to be clear? (I want the shine to be satiny, not glossy.)  Also, the wood is a little green, which I am told is because it has not fully dried/been exposed to air. Will the natural stain lock in this color?

Thank you for your patience and wisdom!

Sincerely,
Briana

ANSWER: Hi Briana,

I'll try to help with your questions, and give a few alternatives, too. You sound like a novice, so this may turn into a long answer. Grab a cup of coffee!

Your first question was about how to sand the end grain of your boards. This isn't the easiest thing to do. And it's hard for me to tell you what grit of sandpaper to buy, without seeing how rough the ends are. But what I suggest is that you buy 2 different grits- a 100 grit and a 180 grit sandpaper. The 100 grit is coarser, and you want to start with that. On end grain, I recommend using a small sanding block, like a piece of 1 x 4, something about the size of a chalkboard eraser. You want to use something hard, like a piece of wood. Cut or tear your sandpaper into quarters, and then wrap one of those pieces around your block, and sand the end grain. Of course, if you have a pad sander, that would be VERY helpful. And it would cut your work in half, so ask around!

Once you eliminate most of the deeper rough areas, switch to the finer paper and sand again. I pretty much sand all my end grain with these two grits only. But be aware- end grain sands very weird- the wood rings you see on the end of a board are harder than the wood in between the rings, so it's possible to sand too much and develop some weird ridges around the rings, because the soft areas come off faster than the harder areas. That's why you use a sanding block.

OK, once it's sanded, blow or wipe off the sawdust before you stain it. I like Minwax stains, but you're going to need a final varnish over that, as Minwax stain isn't really protective, it's only for color. So you're going to need a polyurethane. Sounds like you want satin (or semi-gloss). The green hue of the poplar is probably going to still show through somewhat, even with staining the boards.

By the way- I think your salesman was confused about green wood. "Green" wood can mean wood that's fresh, or not completely dried. But your Poplar is green because that's the normal tint of Poplar. So if he said it's green- did he mean it's undried? Or did he mean green, as in it's color? Hard to know, but I think since it was at a lumberyard, it was probably kiln dried, not "green" wet. I hope that made sense!

OK, back to the finishing question- you're going to need to varnish the wood. So you'll need to buy the varnish and a good paintbrush. Follow the directions, you'll need a dust free environment. Let each coat dry completely, and watch for drips. Light coats are MUCH better than heavy coats.

But if you're game for something different- I suggest you look into Watco Danish Oil. Watco is a wood finish with penetrates the wood and protects it. It absorbs, so you get the feel of real wood, rather than that plastic feel of varnish. And the good thing is- Watco comes in colors (or tints) so that if you apply it, you are staining and sealing the wood in a single step. Watco Natural is their clear color, which will just enhance the wood, but not really add any artificial color to it. I use Watco all the time, it's goof proof, and very easy to apply. And you don't have to worry about drips or dust, because you wipe it on, wet sand it a little, and then wipe it off. It's very simple.

Now- Watco may not be as shiny as you want it, but you can wax it to bring out the shine. I am pretty sure both Lowes and Home Depot sell Watco. A final wax really protects and makes the wood shiny and pretty! I recommend Minwax paste wax, which makes all wood furniture look fabulous.

So, those are your two choices- Minwax stain and then varnish, or Watco oil. If you choose the oil, one thing to think about- the rags you use to wipe off the oil are flammable. They can spontaneously combust, so please dispose of them safely. I lay them flat on a concrete floor until they dry, then throw them in the trash. When they're dry, they're safe.

I can give you more information about using Watco if you decide to use it. Write back if you need more help. Good luck, it sounds like you're going to be fine. You're asking good questions.

Jamie Yocono
Wood It Is! Custom Cabinetry
Las Vegas, NV
www.wooditis.com


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi again, Jamie,

First of all, thank you so much for your thorough and prompt response.  I REALLY appreciate your help with this project of mine.

I definitely want to go the goof proof way (if only I could apply that to the rest of life!).  Not to mention I love the feel of wood, not plastic!  So, now I have three more questions:

1) You mentioned you could give me more information about using Watco Danish Oil.  I am definitely interested in the details (ex: what's wet sanding? is that a literal phrase?).

2) Is 180 grit also good to use on the edges of the shelf that are not end grains? Or do I need to use finer sandpaper for them?  I need to sand these edges a little because they have some splintering and they were cut so precisely they're almost sharp.

3) This question is purely academic:  If I had to use polyurethane on piece of wood and didn't want to add color, there is no benefit to using a clear stain, is there?

I can't thank you enough for the help you are giving me.

Warmest Regards,
Briana

P.S. I visited your website and it's great!  I love your work and your philosophy!

ANSWER: Hi Briana,

Oh cool, a new "convert" to Watco. I used to teach woodworking and all of my students used it, it's the perfect finish for beginners.  On to your questions.... I'm going to cut and paste them here, so I don't forget to answer anything.

1) You mentioned you could give me more information about using Watco Danish Oil.   I am definitely interested in the details (ex: what's wet sanding? is that a literal phrase?).

Yes, wet sanding is literal... that means pour a little Watco on your wood, and then sand it into the wood with your finest sandpaper, which is the 180 grit. This will create a little slurry of wood dust and oil, which acts like a wood filler. If there are any little imperfections, like a small crack or worm hole, this slurry will fill them. This wet sanding really makes your wood feel soft and heavenly. If you have 220 grit paper, you could use that, as well. It's finer, so it will make the wood feel even softer.

2) Is 180 grit also good to use on the edges of the shelf that are not end grains? Or do I need to use finer sandpaper for them?   I need to sand these edges a little because they have some splintering and they were cut so precisely they're almost sharp.

The 180 IS the finer paper!  LOL Depending on how bad the long edges are, you can start sanding them with the coarse paper (100 grit) and the when you apply the Watco, sand them again with the finer (180) paper. This will sort of eliminate a sanding step. It's important that once you're done wet sanding, you wipe everything completely clean. COMPLETELY. No residue whatsoever. If you leave something, it will dry sticky as snot. Sorry to be so gross, but it's a PITA to get rid of the stickiness.

After you wipe it dry, the wood may bleed a little. You might see small droplets of oil oozing out of the wood. You can wipe them off, of if they dry, scrape the little shiny spots with your fingernail to remove them.  

I recommend 2 coats of Watco, maybe 3. But the last coat - you will basically wipe it on and off, as it won't soak in that much. Only wet sand the first coat.

3) This question is purely academic:  If I had to use polyurethane on piece of wood and didn't want to add color, there is no benefit to using a clear stain, is there?

Well.... clear stain is an oxymoron. Clear means no pigment. But stain implies pigment. I think you mean clear varnish. For example- clear Watco is called Natural Watco, which means it just brings out the natural colors of your wood. So I'm not sure where you got the term clear stain, I don't think I've seen a Minwax product labeled that way. Anyway, there are good reasons to varnish wood- it protects the wood from day to day stuff- coffee spills, oil from your hands, whatever. I just don't like the feel of plastic, so that's why I use Watco. It lets wood feel like wood. But you have to be a little careful with it- like using coasters with glasses, etc.

I can't thank you enough for the help you are giving me.

Don't thank me, Briana....... just make me proud.  :)

Oh- and thanks for the nice words about my site. How nice that you visited it! Check out my blog for more cool stuff.

Jamie in Vegas



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Jamie,

Thank you for the very clear instructions -- I'm actually looking forward to doing this project now.  How long should I wait before applying the 2nd and 3rd coats of Watco Oil?  And how much time should lapse before I use the Minwax Paste Wax?

BTW, the oxymoron is called "Minwax Wood Finish Stain Natural 209".  :-)

Thank you again & again,
Briana


Answer
Hi everyone,

I run a woodworking blog, and just posted a video about using Watco Danish Oil. Actually, it's a 4 part video, each segment is pretty short; if I were more tech-savvy, I would know how to edit all of them together!

Anyway, someone recently read this answer to Briana and then visited my blog. They just wrote me, suggesting I put a link here to that video, so that it would be a seamless way to read this answer, and then watch the clips.

Here's a link, I hope the video is helpful to everyone!

http://wooditis.blogspot.com/2008/05/watco-danish-oil-come-oil-and-laugh.html

Good luck, and if anyone has comments or questions, please feel free to contact me. I'm always up for "talking wood!"

Jamie Yocono
www.wooditis.com
Las Vegas, NV