Hello all;
We've just installed an entire wall of kitchen cabinets in knotty pine (couldn't find any other type of pine, and hardwood prices are out of this world).
When you look at it from the corner of your eye, it feels like the wall is covered with a giant leopard skin. NOT the look we were after.
Is there a way to mask SOME of the knots before we varnish the whole thing in natural or honey-pine finish?
Thanks.
LD
No. Your only alternative now is to paint them. If you do, BE SURE you use a stain killer primer (like Kilz) first or the knots will bleed through the paint.
Bob
That's why they call it KNOTTY pine. WTF did you use knotty pine for if it's knot what you wanted. I understand not being able to readily find other material locally but you could have oredred it from SOMEWHERE. Didn't you look at it before it was installed?
You're knot being very understanding. LD did knot want to hear that there was knot a thing that could be done. Why could you knot have suggested a knot removing tool?
Are you saying that "Knotty-but-Knot-too-Knotty" Pine should have been spec'd for the cabinets, instead of the regular "Chock-Full-o-Knots" variety? Or would "Semi-Clear-Yet-Knot-Too-Expensive" Pine have been a better choice??
You could always dutchman in some clear pine. 'Twould look worse, but it would eliminate the knots.
You are basically stuck with what you have short of painting or staining a dark color. Stop looking from the corner of your eye.
I would've ordered "Kinda-Knotty" or "Knot a lot of Knots", but that's knot what everybody likes.
i agree, there is no way to remove knots that won't look worse than the knots themselves. i suggest polyurethane, then live with it for 6 months. sometimes things that bother you at first will be soon forgotten. if it still bugs you, paint them or whatever.
I see we have another Bob S. fresh to the group....;-)
Actually, there is something besides painting that he can do with stains to lessen the effect. It's a bit of work but you can use some gel stains and/or a mixture of artists paints (acrylics) to "reduce" the knot from standing out so much by blending in some colors and "feathering" it to make them appear smaller and less obtrusive. It will take some practice to get the colors mixed right and then practice the blending. You're only staining the knot - not the surrounding wood so you'll be trying to make it lighter looking (less obtrusive to the eye) and not painting it out entirely.
(the original),
Bob S.
How does your comment help? Does it make you fell superior?
Actually, the number and size of knots differs in the wood often found today than it was 50 years ago on older growth trees.
1) You can cut the knots out with a hole saw and glue in a piece of non-knotty pine. Sort of like a dutchman or those 'footballs' they use to replace knots on the 'B' side of B-C plywood. 2) You can seal the knots well with shellac and then paint them with some sort of opaque paint that is closer to the color of the surrounding wood. Artist's oil paints would give you the latittude to blend what you need. If you want to get really fancy and spend the time doing it you can match the grain too. 3) You can veneer over the underlying wood. But the knots may bulge under the veneer.
Well, you COULD rout out the knots, and put in dutchman patches. That would be less obtrusive than the knots. But I agree that a coat of shellac and then paint is probably the best bet. Although I'm not sure how knotty pine will stand up to the humidity cycles in a kitchen. You may end up having to patch the knots over the years as they pop out, anyway.
BobS:
Good idea, if the knots will take any stain. There are people who paint fake woodgrain, why not paint out knots.
What about bleaching the knots? He could try a thinned down bleach or peroxide on just the knots. Test it on scrap first.
I know someone who has a knotty (not naughty) cedar wall and it looks great. The OP might want to give it a few weeks and see if he grows to like the knots.
It sounds like the cabinets are unfinished. The gnots (g is silent) will stand out more against the whiter wood. Once the cabinets are finished with something a little darker, like the honey pine color, you may find the knots (k is also silent for some reason) less obtrusive. Only one way to find out.
Post a link to some pictures and let's see what we're talking about.
R
LOL
naughty knotty, naught not?
I would bet that falling upwards backwards in time is knot in his skillset.
er
On 2006-05-19, Leon ranted thusly:
Either stop looking out of the corner of your eye, or adapt the decor to fit.
I think this calls for some 4-6ft. blackwood fertility statues on either side of the dining table. And a couple congas.
er
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