I just took my first laser class and made a box, and now I’m thinking about how to finish it. It’s a learning curve and I plan to try different ways to process each stage(gluing, finishing, coating, painting), but was wondering what are some of the typical/popular ways to do so.
• What’s the best way to clean off the burn dust and burn marks? Google told me white vinegar with paper towel could work pretty well? I’m going to sand it too.
• I’m new to woodworking as well, what are some suitable indoor finishes/coatings that protect the piece without adding too much thickness? I’m going to stain it before I coat it. Brush or rag? How long do they last before expiring once opened?
• Have anyone tried to stain it before cutting? Or while they’re still in the sprue?
Rather than doing a lot of typing, are you coming to the class this afternoon? If so, ill explain what has worked for me. The goods & cons and more specifically your material choice. Sanding may not be an option for you rastered graphic as it appears to be rather superficial ( not deep enough).
I can’t speak to the wood you used but I have found wipe on polyurethane to be a forgiving finish that does not require a lot of skill to apply. Multiple coats (3 to 4) with light sanding (150 grit progressing to 220 grit] between each coat will protect the wood and provide a smooth finish.
If you want to stain the wood first, test the stain to ensure the end result is not blotchy due to to uneven adsorption of the stain. There is a LOT that goes into finishing wood and results can be unreliable - steps, products, skill and of course the wood. The folks at Woodcraft might have classes from time to time.
I have not used polyurethane in probably 20 years so i will not go into that. The only thing i find rather odd is the 150 grit between coats. 150 grit is rather aggressive. 220 would be the minimum i would go down to. Me myself stick to one grit, 400/600 norton sponge and 99% of the time i only do it once. I can not think of a benefit of graduating up in grits between coats but i do not use polyurethane. Im lazy shoot a couple of coats of a clear coat, lightly sand, shoot another two coats and im done. I may wax polish some items but not often.
Everybody is going to develop their favorite proceedures and if it works for them that’s great. I’ve used wipe on poly for the first coat and it raises the grain a bit. And 150 grit is a little agressive, but to knock off the irregularities, soften the corners quickly… and the “fuzz” is gone fast. My experience with the finer grits is that above 220, the finish fills up and levels out all the scratches left by the sand paper, filling the micro-grooves in the sanded surface. Spray can lacquer is also very easy to apply and each coat will disolve and blend in with the coat before. Higher sanding grits have not offered any improvement for me - but I’m not making musical instruments
Often, I just wash the pieces under tap water, let them dry, glue or tension fit them together, then spray with clear acrylic coat. Very simple. Looks great for many projects depending on the aesthetic desired.
One thing to take into consideration is how much wear and tear the finish is going to be subjected to. If it is purely decorative, one coat of polyurethane is all you may need. If it’s going to be used a lot, then more coats are probably a good idea.
As far as stains go, just polyurethane over plywood will often produce a nice golden color. No stain required. I don’t know what your prefered esthetic is but it is something to think about.
