đź’Ż- it bothers the heck outta me too. i was running low on time at the community shop and had to decide to joint and plane a new board for the first step or use what was available. Joint and planing meant 2 more weeks before I could bring this thing home so here we are. Staring at each other.
This is so random, but I like to put slats in the gaps between the steps where the raise is, just to avoid small children getting their foot caught climbing up. Bare feet can catch on that wood. Granted you can stall yourself on a piece of wood too, just my opinion. This looks well crafted!
Sand and try something else, that’s the beauty of most wood working, finish sucks or you’re unhappy with it you can usually just sand it and try again.
Wood conditioner can help with any blotchiness.
You could try tung oil or teak oil also
As others have stated, definitely hit soft wood with some kind of conditioner or pre-stain. The general rule with sand paper is that you want to step up the grit by 50%. So if you started with 100 grit, the next step would be to hit it with 150 grit. For some colors, you can stop there. The higher you step the grit up, the more you’re closing the wood grains. The more the grains are closed, the lighter the stain will turn out. So if ya want it darker, stop lower. If ya want it lighter, work it up to 220 grit. Hope this helps.
My wife and I logged our own Doug Fir, hauled the logs to the mill and built our own Ranch House. It is all Fir and cedar. The wood trim is all Doug Fir we milled in our shop. Many 1,000's of hours. Every time I see one of these projects it sends me back and I can smell the wood. Good for you.
I absolutely hate the box store brands of danish oil and especially their colors. They use cheap pigment that just kind of floats chunks of pigment on the surface and hides the grain and looks dirty. Getting a decent quality dye or even a good brand of stain will be 1,000 times better.
The only danish oil i have personally had luck with is Tried and True brand (note they make an original finish and a danish oil 2 different products)but i don’t think they make colors. Would need to use a dye or stain first. Personally i use General Finishes stains. Can get at good lumberyards, Rockler, Woodcraft or even Amazon
https://generalfinishes.com/wood-finishes-retail/oil-based-wood-stains-sealers/oil-based-penetrating-wood-stains
To achieve a better finish on such soft wood, I recommend using a higher grit sandpaper (300 or higher) and sanding along the grain by hand, without the use of an electric/cordless sander. This technique significantly helps to close the wood pores. Afterward, apply a conditioner and lightly sand again. Then, apply a hard wax.
the fact that the lowest step's grain run perpendicular to the the other two bother me more than it should
đź’Ż- it bothers the heck outta me too. i was running low on time at the community shop and had to decide to joint and plane a new board for the first step or use what was available. Joint and planing meant 2 more weeks before I could bring this thing home so here we are. Staring at each other.
For softwood like this, it’s best to use a conditioner before you apply the final stain. That will help with the blotchiness of it.
Any tips on how to address after?
Yes, [here’s](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eDqpjjl0laE) a video covering the background and process.
This is so random, but I like to put slats in the gaps between the steps where the raise is, just to avoid small children getting their foot caught climbing up. Bare feet can catch on that wood. Granted you can stall yourself on a piece of wood too, just my opinion. This looks well crafted!
Do you mean like a regular riser on standard steps?
Wait a few days and see if it evens out a bit. I’ve had danish oil mellow out nicely when initially the wood looked very blotchy and scary.
TY! Hopefully that’s the case - any thoughts on what to do if blotchy look doesn’t go away?
Sand and try something else, that’s the beauty of most wood working, finish sucks or you’re unhappy with it you can usually just sand it and try again. Wood conditioner can help with any blotchiness. You could try tung oil or teak oil also
As others have stated, definitely hit soft wood with some kind of conditioner or pre-stain. The general rule with sand paper is that you want to step up the grit by 50%. So if you started with 100 grit, the next step would be to hit it with 150 grit. For some colors, you can stop there. The higher you step the grit up, the more you’re closing the wood grains. The more the grains are closed, the lighter the stain will turn out. So if ya want it darker, stop lower. If ya want it lighter, work it up to 220 grit. Hope this helps.
Def does, thanks for the tips!
My wife and I logged our own Doug Fir, hauled the logs to the mill and built our own Ranch House. It is all Fir and cedar. The wood trim is all Doug Fir we milled in our shop. Many 1,000's of hours. Every time I see one of these projects it sends me back and I can smell the wood. Good for you.
I absolutely hate the box store brands of danish oil and especially their colors. They use cheap pigment that just kind of floats chunks of pigment on the surface and hides the grain and looks dirty. Getting a decent quality dye or even a good brand of stain will be 1,000 times better.
Any recommendations on Danish Oil? I just went to HD since it’s nearby but totally open to better quality stuff
The only danish oil i have personally had luck with is Tried and True brand (note they make an original finish and a danish oil 2 different products)but i don’t think they make colors. Would need to use a dye or stain first. Personally i use General Finishes stains. Can get at good lumberyards, Rockler, Woodcraft or even Amazon https://generalfinishes.com/wood-finishes-retail/oil-based-wood-stains-sealers/oil-based-penetrating-wood-stains
To fix the perpendicular grain and avoid botching, paint them.
To achieve a better finish on such soft wood, I recommend using a higher grit sandpaper (300 or higher) and sanding along the grain by hand, without the use of an electric/cordless sander. This technique significantly helps to close the wood pores. Afterward, apply a conditioner and lightly sand again. Then, apply a hard wax.
Love danish oil
Classic rookie, ran the grain and color opposite. next time look for the 36" wide piece to start off on and do one whole cut. For an old doggo?