Stain For Clear Vertical Grain (CVG) Fir

wobbly1905

11 years ago

We're looking for suggestions for a finish for the CVG fir cabinets being built for us.

The amber or orange tone of the cabinets by Davis Homes in the foreground of the photo is appealing to us. However, we've read about the natural darkening of CVG from sunlight exposure, and are wondering if a clear finish might be best to promote this.

The contractor intends to use a catalyzed lacquer as a top coat to protect the surface from impact damage and wear from hands. We're thinking that minimal gloss would be good.

Here is a link that might be useful: CVG Darkening

Featured Answer

deedles

11 years ago

Fir is such a beautiful wood, it's one of my top contenders for my cabs.

We have fir tongue and groove on our porch that is probably 50+ years old. I'm thinking it was finished with varnish back then but nonetheless, it is a beautiful dark amber, like a maple syrup color almost but with that classic old cottag-ey wood touch of orange. I really love it. I've heard that poly finishes don't yellow like varnish but if the wood darkens naturally over time.... ? Is the lacquer like a poly or does it also yellow with age?

I'm disinclined to stain fir: just to let it do it's thing naturally, but I guess if you want the dark look right away you could stain it. I wonder if someone on the woodworking forum would be better able to answer your question? It's such a pretty wood that it's hard to think anything could mess it up, really. Other than an overall crappy job, I guess.

Whatever you do, please post pics of your cabs when the time comes!

Comments (9)

wobbly1905
Original Author
11 years ago
Seems that the photo was stripped from my original post.
Let's see if it makes it this time.

Here is a link that might be useful: CVG Kitchen
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farmgirlinky
11 years ago
We love our vertical grain fir cabinets, and the cabinetmaker used clear Rubio Monocoat on them -- they look great after almost two years.
Lynn
rhome410
11 years ago
I finished our VG fir cabinets in Waterlox, the Satin finish. I love the soft sheen that is more like a hand-rubbed look (well, I guess it is just that) and how it allows the beauty of the wood to shine through. I love the darkening/slight reddening the wood does on its own. I wouldn't stain it.
wobbly1905
Original Author
11 years ago
I took a short length of CVG fir board and started on one end with a section of Minwax Colonial Maple and a section of Golden Pecan on the other. In the middle was a section of a 50% mixture of both stains. There were also sections of 25%-75% mixes and one section with Watco Natural finish.
We decided on the Golden Pecan. However, when the contractor used a shellac washcoat to prevent blotching before applying the Golden Pecan the sample looked similar to Natural. So he's going to experiment with some tints to get the washcoated CVG to look more like the Golden Pecan
sample without the washcoat.

Incidentally, despite its name, Minwax Golden Pecan is not an overpowering stain on CVG. In fact it was not that far from the Watco Natural.

The link shows some cabinets (not ours) with Golden
Pecan stain

Here is a link that might be useful: Golden Pecan on CVG Fir
rhome410
11 years ago
Minwax Golden Pecan is not an overpowering stain on CVG. In fact it was not that far from the Watco Natural.

Is there a reason you want it stained if you really like the natural color and its eventual change? Seems like a lot of work to get the same look?
wobbly1905
Original Author
11 years ago
We prefer the slightly warmer look of the Golden Pecan stain.
As the linked photos illustrate, there's still a lot of reddish tones coming through the stain, and we expect there will be more with exposure to UV.

Here is a link that might be useful: Golden Pecan on CVG Fir
Joe
11 years ago
Different application, hope this information is useful.

We installed a large number of douglas fir timber trusses, beams and posts in our new build. The vendor suggested a 50% mixture of boiled linseed oil and mineral spirits. The timbers have been installed since February and are already ambering nicely.

Research on the woodworking sites suggest this is a traditional approach to treating doug fir.

All the best, this wood makes beautifully unique interiors.
wobbly1905
Original Author
11 years ago
Well, despite my last post, we actually selected clear catalyzed lacquer applied over a wash coat of clear shellac. The contractor brought over some samples this morning, and we decided that lighter would help offset the absolute black counters.

I believe that Waterlox has a tung oil base and it might require more periodic maintenance than we want to expend.