# Pre-stain conditioner for birch



## Nathan Parker (Jul 23, 2016)

I just bought my first house, and my first project for it is to line the walls of the guest bedroom with bookshelves! I got a good deal on some birch plywood, so that's what I'm building them from, with solid birch trim.

I've heard that birch needs to be conditioned before staining to prevent blotching, but I'm not sure what the best product to use is. I'd also like to keep the cost down on this big project, so if there is a cheaper alternative to the purpose-made conditioners, I'd love to hear about it.

Thanks in advance!


----------



## Larry42 (Jan 10, 2014)

The blotching happens because birch has a lot of fiber direction changes. The open ends of the fibers soak up more than the smooth sides. To fix the issue you need to make both about the same absorptive wise. We finish commercially and use a wash coat as a first coat before stain. A wash coat is nothing more than a thinned down seal coat very evenly and lightly applied by spray. Since it is very thin it dries quickly. The only trick is to put it on evenly. It then needs a quick sand (we use the fine sanding sponges.) Again sand very lightly but evenly. Minimal material cost. Medium skill level.


----------



## Nathan Parker (Jul 23, 2016)

Thanks Larry! Is there any particular brand of seal coat you would recommend?


----------



## Larry42 (Jan 10, 2014)

We use Sherwin Williams water borne products, bought through their commercial distribution channels. Don't know what they carry in their retail stores. Water bornes are typically water white. They don't impart any color to the wood like oil & lacquer based products. if you want that you can add some stain or dye to the finish. With water bornes you will want to put on very even, light coats. Don't try to spray it like you do with lacquer. SW also has their water borne version of two component finishes. Some what more durable but you have to go through the measuring, mixing and discarding if you aren't using it fast enough. You can save from one day to the next by diluting the catalyzed stuff with more of the un-catalyzed finish. You just need to keep track of what you have done so the mix can be made good again.


----------



## Nathan Parker (Jul 23, 2016)

Thanks again! I'll drop by the SW store and see what they've got.


----------



## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

There are any number of products which can be used for a wood conditioner. It's just a thin sealer. I normally use a 50/50 mixture of linseed oil and mineral spirits. If you have never used a wood conditioner you might want to use a store bought conditioner instead of homemade. A lot of people swear by the Charles Neil Blotch Control and Charles is a member of this forum.


----------



## Nathan Parker (Jul 23, 2016)

I've already got linseed oil and mineral spirits... Do you just wipe it on and off like a regular oil finish?


----------



## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

Nathan Parker said:


> I've already got linseed oil and mineral spirits... Do you just wipe it on and off like a regular oil finish?


Yes you can do that. I normally spray it on and let it sit a couple minutes and wipe off the excess. 

Now, any wood conditioner is a sealer so you will probably have to use a darker stain than you think to achieve the color you want. Just be sure to work out your finish on scraps first before using it on the project. The conditioner may need to be more concentrated or thinner. You won't know until you try it.


----------



## Nathan Parker (Jul 23, 2016)

Thanks! I'll give it a try and see how it turns out.


----------



## B Coll (Nov 2, 2019)

Nathan Parker said:


> I just bought my first house, and my first project for it is to line the walls of the guest bedroom with bookshelves! I got a good deal on some birch plywood, so that's what I'm building them from, with solid birch trim.
> 
> I've heard that birch needs to be conditioned before staining to prevent blotching, but I'm not sure what the best product to use is. I'd also like to keep the cost down on this big project, so if there is a cheaper alternative to the purpose-made conditioners, I'd love to hear about it.
> 
> Thanks in advance!


If the sheet goods are going to be horizontal and mostly out of view, any grade plywood will do. If the plywood will be vertical and in view you may want to check with your lumber supplier. Mostly all big box plywood is rotary cut. The veneers are cut by peeling the trees like an apple peeler. Inexpensive and maximum yield. The downside is the veneers do not look like true wood grain. If the plywood is going to show it will likely be worth your while to purchase flat sawn veneer plywood from a lumber yard or plywood supplier. The veneers are cur flat from the tree, like boards are, and pieced together. This will give you the true look of birch.


----------

