Replies

1. 
   Bungalowman | Jan 27, 2006 05:40am | #1

   Are you using a combination stain & finish?  Oil or water based? 

   Cypress is known for it’s “stripey, "zebra" look”, when stained.  The look is more pronounced when the wood is sanded, as apposed to planed. 

    

   Ask your custom window fabricator for some scraps of cypress to test your finishes on.  Sand some using 80 through 220 grits.  Use a hand scraper to smooth the others.  Things to try on your samples, if you are using a combination stain and finish, try an oil based dark walnut stain such as Minwax.  Try a seal coat of dewaxed shellac as a base for your McCloskey product.  If these do not produce a result that you’re happy with try something else.  When you find something you like, that becomes your staining schedule.

    

   My staining schedule for interior trim and sash cypress is smoothing plane, followed by touchup with a hand scraper.  A combination stain/poly from Rockler, in either Art’s and Crafts oak or cherry.

2. 
   lwj2 | Jan 28, 2006 10:39pm | #2

   After you finish sand it, give it a couple of coats of shellac -- use the blonde grade.

   Scuff-sand the last shellac coat, then apply your stain. You may find you have to use dyes to match the colour of the other woods.

   Test it on scraps first.

   Good luck,

   Leon
3. 
   MikeHennessy | Feb 01, 2006 03:39pm | #3

   We had a similar problem -- oak trim and pine windows. We solved it by faux fininshig the windows to mimic the oak. Really more painting than staining, but the results look pretty good -- certainly much better than our "staining to match" attempts.

   Mike Hennessy
   Pittsburgh, PA

1. 
   Anon | Feb 01, 2006 04:45pm | #4

   I'd love to hear more about that as I get ready to put pine windows into hardwood trim.  Where did you get the idea/ directions/ resources? 

1. 
   MikeHennessy | Feb 01, 2006 05:02pm | #5

   You said:

   >Where did you get the idea/ directions/ resources? 

   That's a long story -- here's the short version. Two years ago, I was attending a week-long flatpick guitar workshop held annually at Davis & Elkins College in WV (Augusta Heritage Center - really neat place). I wanted my wife to come along, 'cause it's a blast. She wasn't interested in musical things at the time, so she decided to take a week-long faux finishing class. She can now paint our doors to look like marble, granite, knotty pine, or even oak! She's pretty good, too. Now she's thinking of taking a blacksmithing course. Heck, I might even join her!

   Short of taking the course, there are plenty of books on faux finishing. Just practice on some scrap and have fun.

   Mike HennessyPittsburgh, PA