difference between interior and exterior wood

[peterfawzy]

hello guys,
what is the difference between interior and exterior woods.. and does that affect the selection of the finish .. i am making a tiger portrait that looks like neal moore's , so is that considered interior or exterior wood ?
thanks

[wood-n-things]

The glues used to laminate a plywood are different for interior wood than exterior wood. Other woods to be used out doors are ones that stand up well to the element and insects, like western red cedar and redwood, cyprus, teak to name a few. The style of the pattern or cutting does not necessarily dictate interior or exterior wood.

If you are meaning interior and exterior cuts? That is a whole different discussion.

[Bill Wilson]

As Mike said, some woods hold up better when exposed to the elements. That is either a natural trait, as with woods like cedar, Ipe, cyprus, etc or it's due to some man-made elements introduced into the wood, during the manufacturing process, such as with exterior glue and chemical treatments used in construction lumber.

What will have a greater impact on the type of finish you use will be if the piece is displayed inside or outside. The wood itself really doesn't care what kind of finish is put on it. Some finishes might look better on some woods, but that is more a factor of the color and grain pattern of the wood rather than whether it is considered an indoor or outdoor wood. What kind of wood are you thinking of using for your portraits?

[peterfawzy]

well it is a pine wood and i guess it will not be outside my home so it is interior i think.. so i can pick up any finish i want .. well i watched minwax products and liked to finish what i am doing as follows: 1-pre-stain then 2-stain then 3-polyurethane if i need it more glossy (all in oil base) ... but i guess they will cost alot. so can i replace pre-stain with sealer or something ?? and i already have polyurethane dissolved in thinner, so is it considered water or oil based ?
thanks mike and bill

[wood-n-things]

If it is in thinner it is probably oil based. I prefer water based just for ease of cleanup and less fumes. You can replace the pre-stain with shellac, I do. It will seal the wood and help prevent the blotches you get when working with pine.

[NC Scroller]

I have had very good luck with white oak and cypress on my outside projects.

[Bill Wilson]

Depending on the color you are trying to achieve, you may be able to accomplish your entire finishing schedule with shellac and eliminate the stain and polyurethane completely.

Zinsser brand, pre-mixed shellac is readily available at places like Home Depot and Lowes. It typically comes in clear and amber. The clear only has a slight amber tint to it. The amber has a much darker color. By mixing the clear and amber in various ratios, you can achieve a range of coloration. Shellac doesn't tend to blotch as badly as stain on pine, because it isn't absorbed into the grain, so the color will be more even. Shellac is also a good topcoat and can provide a glossy surface.

The complicating thing about using shellac is the application. Shellac is alcohol based, so it dries very fast. If you try to brush it, it can be hard to avoid lap marks. I've never tried dipping it, but not sure I would recommend that either. For things like furniture pieces with large flat surfaces, padding or french polishing have been traditional methods of application for many many years. However, for scrollwork, the easiest thing to do is spray it. Zinsser also sells shellac in spray cans, but I've only seen it in clear. In order to achieve coloration by mixing, it would be necessary to have a compressor and spray gun.

Not sure if any of this helps you. I use shellac a lot for scrollwork, but I have a compressor and spray gun. If you don't have the necessary equipment to spray, start up costs would be prohibitive.