Evening out color on Fir door

[Doug Wells]

Hi- I'm building a door of CVG Fir. It looks great, and before I varnish it, I wanted to even out the color, so it would have a more consistent orange look that Fir has. Has anyone done anything in this area? Maybe an orange shellac followed by varnish?

Speaking of which, for a front door, is spar varnish the finish of choice? Or is there something else that would be better? I don't want a high gloss, but do want good protection.

Thanks Doug

[Steve Knight]

only if it does not get much sun and or if you want to refinish it every few years. if it doesn to get much sun it's ok. but lots of sun will kill the finish in as little as 2 years.

[Steve Knight]

for outdoor a oil finish is usually best easy to maintain and does not need to be stripped and repaired regularly like a film finish.

[Doug Wells]

Thanks for the insight. I'm still interested in how I could even up the color under the final oil finish though. Does anyone have ideas for that?

[edfan]

For plain wood, try Sikkens products, their coatings are reputed to last very long times indeed - on the order of 10 years+. It's the brand of choice for outdoor signmakers serving ski lodges and other commercial clients.

[Steve Knight]

I have heard the same. though I guess it is not clear though.