I am picking up an unfinished tack trunk this Saturday. I would like to stain and seal it inside and out to protect against dirt, spills etc. What would be the best to use? Can I use a stain/sealer combo or do I need to stain and then seal it. I would like to purchase whatever I need from Lowes if possible.
I would use a stain and then a sealer. Then, if you need to add more layers of stain, you can.
My husband makes trunks etc. . What kind of wood is it?
Some woods take stain better than others. Some get blotchy etc. . .Some need a gel stain and then polyurethane etc. . .
I’m not sure what kind of wood it is it’s a light color and looks like pine for the doors but it’s solid wood for the rest of it. I can ask when I pick it up Saturday. My boyfriend was telling me to use deck stain because it’s made to be outside but I don’t know how that will look. It will be stored in a barn but still exposed to changes in temperature etc.
I’ve made two trunks out of plywood then stained them (took two coats for the finish I wanted) then followed with three coats of polyurethane. They have a shiny, glossy finish and water beads right off of them (though they have covers on them anyway, at least if something spills inside it won’t hurt the wood!). Remember to lightly sand then dust between each coat of poly for a prettier finish! Good luck!
As has been mentioned, it is essential that you find out what type of wood has been used. Softer woods, such as pine, can take stain in a blotchy manner, and can be frustrating to finish. Harder woods, such as oak, can be less blotchy.
It is also important to find out what grit of sandpaper was used to do the final sanding on the piece. The lower the number on the sandpaper, the rougher the finish. So if the trunk were finished with an 80 grit paper, it will be rougher, with more open wood pores and imperfections, than a 200 grit finish. You can always sand to a finer finish – a sponge type sanding block is easier to use it you are unfamiliar with woodworking. If you do choose to sand to a finer finish, you have to move up gradually through the grits. Get a tack cloth to wipe off everything you sand before moving to the next step.
If you want to be safe® when you finish the trunk, you can try a combination stain/polyurethane finish, like PolyShades. Try it in an inconspicuous place to see if you like it. You can use multiple coats, but be sure to rough up the previous coat with a light sanding (with steel wool or sand paper) before applying the next coat. Dark stains can be less forgiving than light stains.
Several coats of clear polyurethane will seal your trunk, but also consider Spar Urethane, which is used for marine finishes and is extremely resistant. DON’T MIX WATER BASED AND OIL BASED PRODUCTS. Oil based should be somewhat more durable, though water based products are more environmentally friendly and easier to clean up.
All of these products should be readily available at Lowe’s.
When you pick it up, can you ask for a few scraps of wood to try different finishes on? I would ask the maker for tips on finishing also, as some finishes could affect how well the trunk opens and closes.
A product called sanding sealer makes wood take stain evenly, and weather/humidity will factor into how the finish turns out.
Thanks for all the suggestions! I have finished a few pieces of furniture so I am comfortable with the sanding process I just didn’t know what kind of stain/poly would be best. If it is a softer wood like pine what stain would you suggest? I did want a darker color of course that will be more difficult. Would it be better to stain with a cloth or a brush?
I will ask what kind of wood, what sanding grit was used and for some scrap pieces of wood when I do to pick it up.
If I use polyshades will that stain and seal it so it’s just one process? I am not looking forward to how long this is going to take for the inside and outside it’s a stand up locker so pretty big.
Do not use an oil-based product on the inside of your trunk…use a water borne finish or shellac. Why? An oil based product will “off-gas” pretty much “forever” and your tack, especially cloth and leather materials, will pick up the smell.
Indy is correct about stains. Some wood species don’t take pigment based stains (what’s generally available in the home centers) well, although using a pre-stain conditioner can help prevent ugly blotching of the color. For those wood species, a dye stain is the better choice. For the pine you mention, my choice would certainly be a dye stain for color…I use water soluble. It looks terrible after application, but once sealed with de-waxed shellac and the clear coats go on, you have color with less of the nastiness.
(I make high-end tack trunks as well as furniture and cabinetry, just for reference around the experience behind my comments)
I used EnduroVar for my last project and was pretty pleased with the results. It’s water based for easy clean up, but can be used over an oil based stain once it’s thoroughly dry (4-5 days).
Spar varnish can be a little difficult to work with (I grew up with teak wood on sailboats, lots of spar varnish). If you go that route, I used a better varnish than you get at Lowes. Epifanes makes a varnish for West Marine that is fairly user friendly. I used it on the last jog cart I refinished.
Thanks! Do you know the name or brand of a dye based stain?
would it be better to just use polyurethane and not stain it at all?
Here is a picture. It’s not high end I just need something to be able to lock my saddles in that doesn’t cost a fortune.
DO NOT USE POLYSHADES it’s crap. horrible stuff.
That’s pretty cool! I probably wouldn’t stain the inside at all, you will find that everything is easier to find if you keep it light inside. Just poly it. . .
If it is all pine, and you want to darken the outside, I would look at a gel stain (with a wood conditioner included) they are pretty easy to apply and usually 1-2 coats does the trick. I don’t like to use the stains with the sealer included because I don’t feel like they protect as well. I would use a classic polyurethane and do 3 coats. . .You can use the kind for damp areas as well.
Honestly, I’d leave the interior unfinished. Just do the exterior. While I do offer interior finish to my clients, few purchase that option. I don’t have a finish on the inside of my personal tack trunks, either. it’s not really necessary.
A natural finish would be just as nice as adding color. If you use an oil based varnish on the outside, it’s going to add some amber color, anyway, and the pine will get darker with time naturally with exposure to UV and through natural oxidation. I fyou use a water borne finish on the exterior, you’ll not get the amber effect of an oil based product unless you add a few drops of dye to the finish to “warm” it up a little.
Oh, yea…members of the major woodworking forum that I help moderate have a very specific phrase about “Polyshades” and similar…“The worst thing that ever happened to a can”. 
Knowing me I will spill something green or purple on the inside and it’ll drive me nuts! I will stay away from Polyshades 
Love the design of the Tack closet! I would leave it pine and put several coats of poly on it. That way you can hose off the horse/barn dust when you need to.
Pine will look better as it ages if it’s not stained. It will darken over time. The soft grain absorbs stain more than the hard grain, which reverses the natural coloring, looking awful. I second the Endurovar for a DIY job.
Well I got it and finished it. I didn’t want to do multiple coats of stain and then coats of polyurethane it just seemed too time consuming. Mine also had a plywood back so I had to do something solid for the back because it wasn’t pretty. I ended up using a semi-transparent deck stain on all of the pine and a solid deck stain in the same color for the back and floor and ceiling. Here are updated pics. I can see where it is blotchier then another wood would be but I like it, it looks like barn wood to me. I did go with a darker color but it’s not too dark on the inside to find things for me.
http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/stargzng386/library/Tack%20Locker
I love how it turned out. I agree that the staining gives it a rustic and lived in feel. I think it will age nicely and accommodate the random nick or spill.
