thank you for the feedback. Indeed I purchased some of that pretreatment conditioner. I found out yesterday evening about the basswood not easy to stain. I thought it was glue that was doing that but it isn't. Something about basswood makes staining it look like crap. I should have done my homework better, but I didn't think it was going to be a problem. oh well, lesson learned.
woodworkly.com
Great. But don't give it a go just after reading instructions! I create a test panel every time I do something significant (staining, varnishing, nailing, trenailing, etc. etc. etc.). It's a rare day when my first test is used on the ship. You claim to be impatient - but little is gained when you have to tear out something you thought was completed. THAT is what tries my patience...Staining Basswood in 7 EASY Steps + Best Stain Colors
Ever gazed upon a basswood piece and wondered, "Can I stain this beauty?" Dive in, and let's unravel this woodworking enigma together! Basswood is a popular soft hardwood that mostly uses for wood carving projects,
. I think you will rather enjoy the testing process - it gives you a chance to experiment and achieve what you are imagining it will look like.
good point. I am all for testingGreat. But don't give it a go just after reading instructions! I create a test panel every time I do something significant (staining, varnishing, nailing, trenailing, etc. etc. etc.). It's a rare day when my first test is used on the ship. You claim to be impatient - but little is gained when you have to tear out something you thought was completed. THAT is what tries my patience...
I suspect my secret unconscious agenda is to build all the models, read all the books and drink all the beer before I die!
I do indeed. It is POF HMS Enterprize, but thanks to Doc Kattner, I have seen the light. I will stick with the Constitution until it is finished, even though I would love to see it fly out of my livingroom window at Mach 2Impatience. It’s a funny thing really. Everyone knows that it’s never, ever helpful to be in a hurry.
Sure, it’s good to be ‘on time’ but only if we achieve that through thoughtful planning and allow ourselves time to get there.
Hurrying, rushing, without thought is always bad. Yet we all have to fight against that panic inducing voice in our heads screaming, “Hurry up! Don’t be late! Don’t miss the deadline! Don’t get in trouble!”
That voice in my particular case is mostly my father’s - a driven man, but it seems to me that the entire 21st century is in a mad rush. It is hard to walk when everybody around you is sprinting.
This is certainly a good hobby for learning and practicing patience. It’s helping me slow down and simplify my retirement, but I have started my next project before finishing the current one so I clearly have some way to go yet.
Do you have your next model in mind already, Jack?
I'll say this as gently and lovingly as I can...a builder would be wise to sort out the routine things of ship modeling before he/she engages with the exotic. My current POF project is exponentially harder than my previous POB project. That said, you have more experience building ships than I do so maybe that transition will be smoother for you...
i don't really allow that to limit what I will try to do. I like that feeling of "that is hard to do". I have already done a few POB models and I am bored of those. I picked the constitution because there is a lot of building and painting, for which I don't have a lot of experience. For the POF, I have purchased a couple of books on the subject and I will use those to guide me. The logs on this site will be helpful too.
turns out it's the porosity of the basswood which makes it difficult to stain. Apparently it soaks up stain like crazy, which makes it difficult to get a uniform coverage. I'll try out that pretreatment conditioner to see if that helps. If the test pieces look like crap, then I'll just seal then varnish the deck.
Yuck. There's you problem. Great wood for structural work, NOT for finished surfaces. It doesn't stain well. Models made of basswood are painted... because it's basswood.
I am wondering if I could find a hardwood that is in strips. Any suggestions?
How about Holly? It has fine grain and stains well.
You have a million options, as I stated only a few in my last post (Model Expo, Modelers Center, eBay). FELLOW MEMBERS: Please tell this fine gentleman where he can purchase some 3 or 4 mm wide deck planking strips from a decent hardwood.
