finishing birch plywood

Water based products are great with birch when no color is desired.

Try a scrap panel with a good quality water based varnish available near you. Follow the directions on the can for the specific product you choose, including a light sanding after the first coat. Water raises the grain of wood, so a sanding (maybe 220 grit) after the first coat of water based product is very necessary after the first coat, if a sanding sealer is not used.

Not all water based products are created equal, so if you don't like one, try another. Some have come a long way, some still aren't very good. Here's a very recent comparison:

Don't put it on the actual parts until you have a good handle on application, and are happy with the results.

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Thanks for the info Barry. I'll give it a try.

snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com wrote in news:1188173426.669252.64620 @r23g2000prd.googlegroups.com:

And next time you have a go at this type of cabinet, check with your plywood folks to see if they have prefinished birch or maple for you to buy. A LOT easier to use, saves a bunch of time and not that much more $$$.

Patriarch

The waterbased stuff is great for what you want. I like to use exterior clear acrylic for cabinets and for the interior of the vintage travel trailers we restore.

Craig

I have the best luck with blonde shellac.

Thanks to all that replied. I'll reply with the results.

The water-based poly worked great. That is just what I was hoping for. I used oil based poly on the face frames because I like the amber tone it gives. I stained the face frames first with the smallest bit of olympic colonial maple. I rub it on and off quickly as not to make the wood too dark. My cabinet project is coming out pretty nice.

Again, thanks to all of you that helped.