Staining techniques for solid wood furniture combined with veneered panels

Sometimes furniture construction solutions involve combining solid wood with veneered panels of chipboard or MDF. Whether the reasons for adopting these solutions are economic or technical, the appearance of the furniture should not suffer. However, the combination of solid wood and veneered panels can mean color problems if the finish is transparent. Here are some suggestions to avoid them.

Be careful when sanding wood white

In general, the combinations are made from the same type of wood, for example solid oak with oak veneer or solid poplar with poplar veneer. But there are exceptions where the solid wood and veneer differ. In all these cases, but especially where the species are different, differences in color may occur between solid and veneer when staining, due to the different absorption of the wood into the wood.

Solving the problem starts at white grinding. It is recommended that the sanding is finished with fine-grained paper - 180-220 - to reduce absorption, especially for solid wood. Reduced absorption leaves the colorant on the surface, resulting in a uniform appearance of the furniture.

Uniform coloring

Colouring  uniform can be achieved in several ways. One of the simplest is coloring with solvent-based dyes. It is a way to reduce the absorption of the dye into the wood. If the technology or environmental requirements do not allow the use of solvent-based stains, waterborne stains can be used in which part of the water is replaced by special leveling resins. These are water soluble resins that prevent the deep absorption of the stain, resulting in a more uniform appearance.

Using wiping baths after application is also a way to achieve uniform coloration of solid wood-veneer-veneered panel combinations. The stains are applied liberally with the spray gun, after which the excess is wiped off with a cloth. Wiping is done initially in circular motions across the surface and finally along the grain. The wiping of the stain and the resin content result in a uniform appearance.

Uniform coloration can be achieved by creating a barrier to prevent deep absorption of the stain. Do applying an insulator or even a diluted primer coat between 50 and 100%. Apply a very thin coat so that no film is formed. After drying and light sanding, apply the sanding compound. Caution, the method must be checked beforehand. The basecoat may be compatible with the primer when applied on top, but incompatible when the order is changed.

When finishing technology is more elaborate, different materials can be used to help achieve a uniform appearance. This is the casel skates. Applying them to achieve the ageing effect also has a uniforming effect on furniture.

Uniform staining of the solid wood-veneered panel combination can also be achieved by using a specially formulated staining solution called standardizing. It is a kind of quick-drying varnish that is applied over the primer before the final coat of varnish. The applied layer must be very thin, like a colored veil that lies under the varnish, giving a uniform appearance over the entire piece of furniture.

In conclusion, when there are veneered solid wood-veneered panel combinations, for a uniform appearance of the staining the different absorption of the staining solutions in the two wood substrate tops must be taken into account.

I hope you find the above information useful. As always, additions are welcome. And if you have any questions or queries, please leave them below in the space provided. I'll be sure to reply