Replies

1. 
   oldusty | Aug 01, 2006 06:17pm | #1

   Hi James,

               How your Fir will stain up depends on what you have , there is VG and flat sawn and who knows what in between . Are they new ? are they old ?

      Fir can be stained with excellent results and in normal ways that may not involve special methods . Tell us more about what you have there .

                      dusty

1. 
   rrekih | Aug 01, 2006 11:01pm | #2

   They are new doors.
   VG and flat sawn?

2. 
   oldusty | Aug 02, 2006 01:37am | #3

   James ,

              O.K.  you have brand new doors with no finish on them . I know they are new but especially on doors ,  a final sanding is typically needed before finishing . Depending on the exact disposition of what you have the grit you begin may vary .

          Imo hand sanding to 220 grit should be fine , making sure any in line scratches and machine marks are gone from the factory . With the glass in French doors you will have some masking to do before staining and finishing .

      Get a sample piece of wood to try stain on , then when you have the right color stain the door . Pre stain sealers can be used on trouble woods before the staining begins ,Follow the specific directions from the brand you are using .   

      Apply a clear top coat over the dried stain , this could be varnish or a number of other materials suited for this exterior application and appropriate for the UV exposure the doors will be subjected to .

    Ask your local paint store for the types of finish recommended in your area .

                   regards          dusty

1. 
   SteveSchoene | Aug 02, 2006 06:49am | #4

   Are these exterior doors or interior doors? 

   The biggest problem in staining fir is that the early wood and late wood differ so much in hardness and density that stains don't take evenly creating a striped effect.  If these are interior doors you could use a dye to color the wood, dye penetrates both early and late wood about the same and therefor gives a more even color than typical stains with pigment.  However, if these are for exterior use dye is generally not light fast enough, and can fade and change color in a relatively short period.  Pigment doesn't change as much.  But to get more even color with pigmented stain you do need to use a conditioner or a wash coat of highly thinned finish. 

   The question about vertical grain and face grain was seeking info how the grain looked.  Narrow, straight grain, which appears to run from front to back on the door is "vertical".  When stained it does have the color variance, but it is relatively tame.  But face grain, where the growth rings tend to be more parallel to the doors faces, gets a pretty wild appearance with stain. 

1. 
   rrekih | Aug 02, 2006 08:14am | #5

   Hi Steve
   The doors will be exterior.
   I will have to look closely at the doors to see which way the grain is running.

2. 
   oldusty | Aug 02, 2006 05:43pm | #6

   Hi Steve ,

                   I think your reply was meant for the original poster, non the less you are correct as to my asking about the type of grain the doors were made of.

         In my experience VG is much more uniform when stained as opposed to face grain or flat sawn Fir . In fact VG Fir with a clear finish is beautiful as I'm sure you know , and is used in quite a bit of upper end work that way , at least here in the Pacific North West , it was the wood of choice in many Craftsmen style homes and still is .

           Unfortunately with most of the Old Growth now gone and very little logging in the PNW the supply is meager and the outlook is dismal . VG veneers although rather spendy are still available from certain suppliers .Perhaps other parts of the country still have old growth ?

                         dusty

1. 
   trichards | Aug 02, 2006 09:02pm | #7

   I have built some interior doors of clear, V-G Douglas fir and simply varnished them. In my humble opinion, they were quite stunning! I have been considering building some more as part of an arts & crafts bungalow reno but the existing doors are painted, and I simply cannot bear the thought of painting clear fir.