Advice for staining maple plywood

[iWood_]

I'm building a few plant stands for our porch with maple plywood. I also purchased an oil gel stain and lacquer.

So first off, I need advice if I can do additional sanding because the plywood looks presanded. I'm worried it might just remove the maple layer and mess things up?

Then the plan is to apply wood conditioner, apply the gel stain, then a sealer, and then lacquer. Thoughts?

 

[tapthestar85]

I think it's best that you do all the steps on a piece for accurate results. Missing one step may result in different outcomes. As for getting a shiny finish, a lacquer sanding sealer can be used as a primer before applying a harder lacquer for finishing. Best of luck!

 

[TmAfterTm]

I'm building a few plant stands for our porch with maple plywood. I also purchased an oil gel stain and lacquer.

So first off, I need advice if I can do additional sanding because the plywood looks presanded. I'm worried it might just remove the maple layer and mess things up?

Then the plan is to apply wood conditioner, apply the gel stain, then a sealer, and then lacquer. Thoughts?

you can do light additional sanding if needed, but be very careful bcs of the thin veneer maple plywood has

 

[IntoTheWoods]

Agree you both. Also lightly sanding with 220 grit is good, even if it's pre-sanded, just to smooth the surface without sanding through the maple veneer. Wood conditioner helps with even stain absorption on maple, gel stain gives rich color, then sealing and lacquer will protect it well. Just make sure each coat dries fully. You'll get a nice, durable finish that way

 

[Checkmaterr]

Maple plywood usually has a pretty thin veneer, so sanding too aggressively can definitely wear through it. Light sanding with fine grit (220+) to smooth things out should be safe

 

[Elfh0rns]

Agree you both. Also lightly sanding with 220 grit is good, even if it's pre-sanded, just to smooth the surface without sanding through the maple veneer. Wood conditioner helps with even stain absorption on maple, gel stain gives rich color, then sealing and lacquer will protect it well. Just make sure each coat dries fully. You'll get a nice, durable finish that way

Thanks for the tips! I'm just getting into woodcraft and curious, how do you decide between gel stain and regular stain for maple? And for sealing, do you prefer lacquer over polyurethane for durability or ease of use?