Staining Birch needs to be done with proper staining techniques for the reason that Birch does not take stain well. But with proper surface preparation, you will be able to get a nice and glossy stain surface with extra protection.
The following are some of the key considerations that you will need to keep in mind when staining birch plywood:
Cleaning the wood before staining is an important step because if dust and debris get trapped inside the stain finish, that will probably lead to a blotchy surface.
Use water and dish soap to clean Birch plywood before staining. Mix dish soap and water well and dip a clean rag and soak it in the soap water. Then wipe the entire surface without missing any spots to get rid of dust and debris.
After cleaning the plywood with soap and water, let it dry completely. While the surface is drying, you will notice some areas dry faster than others. This is because those areas have a high reaction rate. This should be minimized with a wood conditioner to keep away from surface blotchiness after staining the wood.
After cleaning the wood from dust and debris, sand the entire surface. Use 20 grit sandpaper to get rid of surface randomness and to get a nice and smooth surface that is so ready to take stain. Sand along the direction of the wood grain for better acceptance of wood stain.
Plus, never use higher-grade sandpapers because they might harm the wood grain and scratch the Birch wood surface. Once you are done with sanding, remove sawdust and clean the surface with rags. When you feel the surface is dry and clean, you are good to move into the next step.
Now, apply wood conditioner all over the Birch plywood surface with smooth strokes. Wood conditioner helps Birch plywood to take stain evenly and give a nice appearance.
Generally, Birch plywood is hard to stain because it soaks up stain pretty fast. This prevents the stain from spreading out evenly throughout the surface and results in large blotchy and splotchy areas which are so hard to remove.
But applying wood conditioner before wood staining, will limit and control the absorption limit of Birch. This will prevent Birch from absorbing stain quickly and helps the wood to take stain evenly all over the wood.
Because of the above reasons, it is highly recommended to apply a pre-stain wood conditioner before staining especially when you’re working with wood-like Birch. Wood conditioner helps you to keep away from many kinds of wood stain mistakes. After applying the wood conditioner, wet the Birch board to notice any uneven areas.
If you notice them, better to go for another round of wood conditioner and test the wood again before moving on to the staining step.
After applying the wood conditioner let it dry completely for about 2 – 3 hours to avoid getting a tacky surface after staining the wood. Once the wood is fully dried after applying wood conditioner, you will see a significant difference in Birch plywood appearance. This indicates that the wood is ready to take the stain well.
It is time to apply the wood stain using the paintbrush. Apply wood stain along the direction of the Birch wood grain for better acceptance and uniform finish. Plus, make sure to apply thin coats of stain because they are efficient and dry faster than thick coats of stains.
Thin coats of stain help to avoid many mistakes for staining woods like getting tacky surfaces. Make sure not to miss any spots when staining because filling gaps is so difficult once the stains are fully settled in.
Apply stain by putting constant pressure on the paintbrush. Because when the pressure is high, the resulting stain colour will get much deeper and darker. If you are willing to get a darker tone on Birch, better to go for a gel stain.
Gel stain gives you darker colour and one coat of gel stain is well enough to cover up the entire surface with a uniform colour. Because gel stains do not penetrate through wood fibers like regular stains. Apply at least 2 coats of stain with water-based stain for a better finish. Dry the wood completely between each coat to avoid trouble.
Once you are done with staining Birch plywood, let it dry and cure completely before using it for any woodworking application.
