Face frames...

[harryball]

Oh great oracle of knowledge...

I've built bookcases with a mid grade birch that is stained red mahogany. My wife chose it, loves it etc...

I need face frames.
For painting I know poplar works well, easy to cut, cost effective.
What do you guys use for staining when the wood itself is not that important?

i.e. I'm painting the frames, order Poplar. I just want a neutral stain grade frame, order .....?

/RB

[ken_rychlik]

Poplar is pretty soft. Almost as soft as pine.

I use soft maple (it ain't to soft) for paint grade.

If I were using birch plywood and staining it, I would use birch for the face frames. It's not that much wood for a face frame and your savings will be eaten up trying to match it with stain.

Kenneth

[thewoodcrafter]

Robert,

I agree with Kenneth.
I would not try to stain poplar to match your birch.
Buy 1 board of birch and do it right.

[wberminio]

Rob

I have stained poplar in the past for some projects.
It actually stains very well,but I wouldn't use it to match birch.

Hope you're having fun on your projects!



Erminio

[beacon14]

Good luck staining solid birch and having it match the birch plywood. I'd suggest you try some samples of the finish first before going to the trouble of making the frames. If it's stained red mahogany you might try alder if the birch doesn't work out.

[Big-Tex]

Good luck staining solid birch and having it match the birch plywood. I'd suggest you try some samples of the finish first before going to the trouble of making the frames. If it's stained red mahogany you might try alder if the birch doesn't work out.


Better yet take sample to local Sherwin Williams have them do match stain.
Then you accept it or have em work on it.

Do not tell them you will need quart only!!!!!! Tell them that customer has to accept it before you proceed with job.

[harryball]

I only paint poplar. I tried some Birch wood... I don't know what they veneer "Birch" plywood with but it don't match.

I like using Alder, hadn't considered that.

I know a lot of guys use poplar as a default paintable trim. I was just wondering if there was also a default for staining.

Thanks for the ideas.

/RB

[coach]

I did a laminte job, Monticello Maple was the lam. I painted the inside boxes, you cannot see the difference. I took the sample to the Home Depot and they put the sample on a machine and it mixed the paint to match. I have done this several times and it works great.
I use polyurethane exterior porch paint, oil base. It's a really great paint too. I spray it most times but small pieces we use a foam brush and you cannot tell it is painted.