Birch and Alder Cabinet

[Pat]

Bought this unfinished alder and birch unfinished cabinet. Plan to retrofit it into a pantry cabinet to match my knotty pine wood kitchen cabinets.

It is the kind you put together. I have worked with birch before but never Alder. Info I find says it is light red in color , grows in moist cool climates. Also is used to smoke food on a BBQ.!!!!

I know the 3/4' plywod is birch, but looks like all the trim and raised panel doors, crown mouldings etc. are Alder. They are a different color than the ply.

My question is how to finish both woods to look alike. I want to do this before putting it together . Instructions with cabinet says to sand w/22o and then 320. Done that. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Pat.

[RB]

I like birch. I cut alder like a weed. This weekend I need to cut down a bunch of alders that have come up in the past couple of years which spoil the view. They grow fast, and in general I prefer not to work with fast growing woods.

RB

Pat wrote:

[Tom]

Pat wrote: >Bought this unfinished alder and birch unfinished cabinet. Plan to

Practice on scraps. And remember, it's easier to dilute a color than to darken it. You don't say what types of stains/finishes you'll be using. The alder takes stains pretty blotchily, if you don't pad on some shellac first. Tom Someday, it'll all be over....

[Pat]

I didn't realize it was Alder when i bought it. thought it was all birch. Now that I have it i need to finish it

My kitchen cabinets are a medium honey spice color knotty pine. Or like the red oak with tung oil finish cabinet I have.

Since this is in the kitchen and will get a lot of use and of course will be wiped down a lot.. What would you all suggest an oil stain and or finish, or water based with poly.

Pat.

[Pat]

I don't have any Alder scraps just the parts that came with the cabinet. Have scraps in shop of baltic birch plywood.

Pat.

[Tom]

Pat wrote:>I don't have any Alder scraps just the parts that came with the cabinet.

Then you may have to match the birch to the alder. Still do-able. Tom Someday, it'll all be over....

[seth livingston]

since the cabinet is still in pieces, try staining the inside (backside) surfaces until you get a formula which gives you the results you want. you can then duplicate it on the faces of the parts. any mistakes can either be ignored or sanded off...

my $.02, seth

[Pat]

Thanks for all your help, I'll let you know How it turns out. If by any means I can't get it right. there is always a faux paint finish. i know that is dirty word, ( paint to woodworkers).

Pat