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I am currently doing the finish carpentry on my cabin in Alpine, AZ. I have just started to install 9 pre-hung hollow core doors (stain grade – Mahogany). After I get them all hung, I will be faced with finishing them. I am thinking of using an oil or water based polyurathane, but am not sure of the best method to use to apply it. I have heard that foam paint pads are a decent way to go. I really want to eliminate brush marks/bubbles. I do own a small Porter Cable air compressor (6 gal pancake tank). Would I be better off using some sort of sprayer/spray can?
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I like to use "wipe on" polyurethane. MinWax makes a good one. It wipes on just like oil finishes but has the durability of poly. And no brush marks. Also it comes in gloss or satin finish.
*Personally, I think nothing looks as good on stain grade hollow core as well applied shellac. (It seems to have been the door finish of choice in SE PA and NW OH, althogh I've never seen a mahogany HC: some laun's, butt...)The main downside is that they don't take abuse, but they're very easy to repair abuse to the finish.
*There's nothing like polyurathane. I have never seen a h.. mahogany door but I can't imagine their cheap. Do it right or not at all. Use at least 2 coats of urathane with a light sanding between. Don't forget to hit all 6 sides or the door will warp. That means they must be removed to be done right. If at that point your not happy with the finish then dull it with steel wool and apply butchers wax.
*Tung Oil might fit the bill. Jeff
*The guys at the building center where I purchased the doors call them "mahogany stain grade hollow-core".....wether or not they are actually mahogany is another story. Prob more like luan. They arnt very expensive...abt $60 a piece). I have used the Minwax wipe-on poly with great results for a few Oak furniture projects, however, it seams like you have to apply like 4 - 5 coats to get a decent layer of protection (on red oak anyway....the unfinished doors appear to be made of a more porous type of wood).
*Adam, if you go with the poly, it is easy and fast to apply with a foam ROLLER. Go gently with the roller, so you don't create extra bubbles. Remove the doors and lay them flat for no runs. The poly takes long enough to dry, you shouldn't have to worry about bubbles unless the temp is really high. On an open-pored wood like that, make sure they don't dry in a place that's warmer than where they were stored, because the air in the pores will expand and cause bubbles in the topcoat.
*The foam roller idea sounds like a good one. Although I like the way the wipe-on poly looks and applies, it seams as if it would take a long time to finish all 9 doors. I am thinking at least 3 - 4 coats of the wipe on stuff...all hand rubbed. Any preferences as wether to use an oil-based or water-based poly? Any brands that are reccomended? Thanks.
*a useful hint I read somewhere, was to drive 2 longnails into each end (top and bottom) of the door,near the corners, then use these to support thedoor between 2 saw horses. This way you can paint all 6 surfaces of the door at a time.
*Adam,I have used the Minwax fast-drying (solvent based) poly on some interior projects lately, and I like it a lot. The foam roller and the nails on horses trick is a powerful combo. That lauan is thirsty stuff, so you will need at least 3 coats, which can be done in 2 days with good drying conditions and planning. If you have spray equipment, shellac is, as noted above, a gorgeous finish, and can also (if dewaxed) serve as a sealer/toner and be overcoated with waterbase. You can do more coats in two days, but will still need two days to build a durable film. Either system will still be soft for several more days, so be tender when rehanging those doors.Bill
*AdamThe oil based MinWax wipe on that you used on the oak is the perfect way to go. The top and bottom edges need only 1 coat to seal them. An easy way to do the bottom edge without having to remove the door in to use an angled putty knife (or any bent piece of flat metal) with a rag wrapped around it. Then you can do the verticle sides with the doors hanging in place.Also, I like to do the sanding between coats with a fine-grit sanding sponge. 3 coats should be plenty of protection but if you're going with the satin finish you should use high gloss for all but the finish coat. Satin finish contains wax (parafin) which makes the varnish a little less durable.
*Adam, just to confuse you a litle more:If it were my doors, i wouldn't use wipe-on poly; it applies easily, but that's because you aren't putting as many solids on as opposed to solvent, which is why it takes so long to build a finish. On something handled as frequently as a door, i believe you'd be depositing dirt into those deep pores in no time. Use the thick stuff, apply it with the roller, one coat or possibly two per day. The first coat will take longer to dry than the subsequent ones--seems wrong, but it's true. You don't need to hand sand; use 220 grit sandpaper coated with a layer of white powdery stuff, which is a soapy material (stearates) that will keep your sandpaper from loading as badly with fresh finish. You can use an orbital sander for this. Go lightly and evenly until you've removed the "nubs". On the final coat (i'd do three), use the same sandpaper on a rubber block or something similar, sanding with the grain, to knock out any dust particles; then use the same block with maroon Scotch-brite pad to give an even satin finish. I've tried using gloss poly to build a finish and then a final coat of satin as one person suggested, but if you sand through one coat into the next it becomes very obvious, as will wear patterns on the door. Gloss or satin to start is up to you; i think the satin is more forgiving. Happy painting!
*I really appreciate all of the input on this topic. It's something that I really don't want to screw up, especially after all the work that I'm putting into the cabin. I am just about convinced that the full-strength poly is the way to go, esp if applied with a foam roller. The minwax wipe-on poly is a great product for furniture & cabinet doors, but I think it may be a little more pricey as well. A PINT of Minwax wipe-on poly goes for about $7 - $8 whereas you can get a gallon of the full strength stuff for $15 - $20. When you consider how many coats of the wipe-on I would have to use (at least 4 - 5 to get a decent coat....this estimate based on experience) to get a decent layer of protection, I think the regular satin poly is the way to go. Not to mention it being easier to apply with a roller than hand wiping/rubbing. I did use the wipe-on stuff for my kitchen oak cabinet doors (applied over danish oil - Watco) with excellent results, however, these doors were red oak -- much more dense. Even then, I applied 4 - 5 coats of the stuff. Thanks again everyone....FH's Breaktime site has really helped out a lot with the cabin project. I am not a professional builder, but I feel like I can get just about any question I have answered here -- from people who really know their stuff and appreciate home building as a fine craft.
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I am currently doing the finish carpentry on my cabin in Alpine, AZ. I have just started to install 9 pre-hung hollow core doors (stain grade - Mahogany). After I get them all hung, I will be faced with finishing them. I am thinking of using an oil or water based polyurathane, but am not sure of the best method to use to apply it. I have heard that foam paint pads are a decent way to go. I really want to eliminate brush marks/bubbles. I do own a small Porter Cable air compressor (6 gal pancake tank). Would I be better off using some sort of sprayer/spray can?