# Help in staining/finishing knotty Alder



## Ronnie1a (May 24, 2009)

I'm making bedroom end tables out of knotty Alder but not sure how to finish it.
I've read I should use a wood conditioner on Alder. Never used it. Can I put it on with a spray gun?

What do I use to fill in the knot holes? I'm thinking some kind of clear liquid that will harden. If I use too much can it be sanded down? Or should I use regular wood filler and sand it down? I want to be able to see the knot holes but want them to feel perfectly smooth, if that makes sense.

I would like to spray a clean coat after the above problems are taken care of. Will it present any problem with the knot hole filler?


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## JMartel (Nov 30, 2011)

Epoxy the knot holes, wait a day for it to cure, and sand it flush. I did the same thing for a blanket chest in Alder I'm currently finishing up. 

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## MT Stringer (Jul 21, 2009)

I am building our kitchen cabinets out of knotty alder. So far, they look great. After testing a board with 5 or 6 different stains/finish, we chose General Finishes Colonial Maple Gel Stain and GF Van **** Brown Glaze. The finish is sprayed on using Parks Pro Finishes Water Based Crystal Clear Satin finish. We have been pleased. Next time I might go with the semi gloss but I didn't want the cabinets too shiny.

So, how did I do it?

Wood was sanded to 150 grit. 
Gel stain applied with a foam brush, then wiped off.
After it was dry, I sprayed a coat of the clear finish and let dry. In the Houston heat, that took all of 15 minutes. 
I lightly sanded the boards with 320 grit paper and wiped off the dust.
The Van **** glaze was brushed on, then wiped off and allow to dry.
Then I lightly sanded and sprayed several coats of clear finish, sanding with 400 grit between each coat.

Mikey likey! And so does my sweetie. She is the stainer and glazer on this project.

Note: I didn't fill any knots. But if I was going to, I would stain first, then glaze, then fill with the epoxy prior to final spraying coats of finish.

Here are a few pics.

Hope this helps.
Mike


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## Ronnie1a (May 24, 2009)

*Many thanks for your reply*

Very nice pictures. I'm going to try some of the things you did.


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