Yeah I’m not in to paying out the nose for material. So I cheat and laminate boards quite often. I’ve got a good sized planer and jointer that gives me that ability. I also have a bandsaw that I use for resaw work. That helps with cost savings. The finish on the table was pretty generic. They just had there home remodeled so I had to match a fireplace mantel done by a contractor. First I used Minwax pre stain, I lay it on heavy let it dry for 20 or 30 min. The stain was Minwax classic grey, I like using old cotton shirts to apply stain. I let the stain set for 10 minutes and wipe it down. I topped it off with a satin polycrylic by Minwax. Total cost of just materials to build the table and bench was $289 bucks with a 10% discount. “Lowe’s” That’s including sandpaper, stuff like that. On big jobs like this I bid it in bulk and then I restock per job any leftovers like glue and paper I keep. On the stain and sealer if there is a leftover I give it to the client. I do that so if there is a scratch or something they can fix it themselves or if they wanna match it down the road. This was taken at the home after set up. She wanted a big table for thanksgiving. It looks to me like it will help keep people fed for many years. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I was pretty sure you use a lot of pre-stain since it looks like you do a lot of pine. I too use a lot of Minwax products but I'm not always loving the finish I get with either their water or oil based poly. Recently I found a really great product. Wood bowl finish from General Finishes. So far, I've only used it on smaller projects but I really love the stuff. After speaking to some other guys, I understand it's equally good on furniture etc. You have any experience with it?
I have not used any General Finnish products. I’ve used wood dye and alcohol in a sprayer. Dye is one of the most attractive finishes I’ve ever used. The depth of the grain and contrast is wild. Also another fun one is T-shirt dye or a combination of T-shirt dye and stain. You get a very deep rich finish. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I don't do a lot of pine so I generally don't have an issue with stains. Matter of fact, a lot of my stuff uses exotic woods so I only use stains a fraction of the time. I've been experimenting with finishes for years and the wood bowl finish is now one of my favorites.