Prep for plywood

UndercoverCoatings

I have a customer wanting to hydrodip cornhole boards made from plywood. I know the wood needs to be sealed first, but otherwise I'm basically lost. If they used Killz primer sealer on the panels would I be able to just spray them with some base or intercoat and go straight to dipping as usual?

Sreynolds

I think @Tsunami has the answer if I remember correctly

MidOhioHydrographics

Seal w Helsman Spar Urethane, once it's cured, sand it and paint.

UndercoverCoatings

I had seen the Helmsman reccomendation. Just wondering if Killz would have the same effect.

WileECoyote

I dont think Killz is a sealer. But @tsunami did his research and testing and shared it with the rest of the class... If it hasnt been tested yet, you could be the first...

UndercoverCoatings

Features include sealing porous surfaces

NotSoFast

Remember, the plywood is probably going to want to float on you. You might need a second pair of hands to get it under smoothly.

MidOhioHydrographics

Remember it also needs to cure hard enough to be a suitable substrate to mechanically hold paint after scuffing.

UndercoverCoatings

Thanks for the tips!

norcalfrank

And it needs to be compatible with whatever base you will be using.

Libertyman

Kilz, is basically used for stain blocking, it won't properly seal the wood, let alone the end grain, I'd go with the Helmsman spar (marine grade) also I'd throughly coat those end plys with multiple coats, that's where your fail will happen if any. You could also recommend to the customer that he should use marine grade plywood too

K2Concepts

Libertyman said:

Kilz, is basically used for stain blocking, it won't properly seal the wood, let alone the end grain, I'd go with the Helmsman spar (marine grade) also I'd throughly coat those end plys with multiple coats, that's where your fail will happen if any. You could also recommend to the customer that he should use marine grade plywood too

This...Kilz will not seal the product like a Spar Urethane will...

Libertyman

@K2Concepts .... That's what I said...

UndercoverCoatings

Got it.. thanks

Tsunami

Never found a base that was not compatible with the Spar Urethane

rcmantjk

UndercoverCoatings said:

I have a customer wanting to hydrodip cornhole boards made from plywood. I know the wood needs to be sealed first, but otherwise I'm basically lost. If they used Killz primer sealer on the panels would I be able to just spray them with some base or intercoat and go straight to dipping as usual?

rcmantjk

About the only thing I dip is RAW wood parts. I seal the wood with Bullseye Shellac. Shellac works great for sealing raw wood and can go under just about any kind of primer and top coat without a problem!! After the shellac has dried and cured, it gets primed, painted and dipped!!! Shellac really is the way to go for sealing up wood. Works WAYYYYYY better than urethanes!! It's an old wood workers secret to use shellac to seal wood before applying urethanes. Urethanes absorb and absorb and absorb into raw wood like crazy!! And have fun sealing the end grain using urethanes, you'll be applying coat after coat after coat to seal the end grain using ANY urethane!! Applying shellac before the urethane seals the wood much quicker and with MUCH less product! Usually one nice coat of shellac will seal just about any wood. Never had a problem using shellac!!!!

smedlin

bahahah... cornhole boards.. what a great ideal!

K2Concepts

rcmantjk said:

About the only thing I dip is RAW wood parts. I seal the wood with Bullseye Shellac. Shellac works great for sealing raw wood and can go under just about any kind of primer and top coat without a problem!! After the shellac has dried and cured, it gets primed, painted and dipped!!! Shellac really is the way to go for sealing up wood. Works WAYYYYYY better than urethanes!! It's an old wood workers secret to use shellac to seal wood before applying urethanes. Urethanes absorb and absorb and absorb into raw wood like crazy!! Applying shellac before the urethane seals the wood much quicker and with less product! Usually one nice coat of shellac will seal just about any wood.
Never had a problem using shellac!!!!

I remember working with "shellac" in my woodworking class in high school...and thank you for that tip...

Humble308

Very cool on the shellac. I use it a lot in my wood turning stuff, wouldn't have thought to use it for hydro. Are you just brushing it on?

I'd like to try the corn hole board myself. I imagine naked ladies or reaper prints would make all my Marine brothers lose their minds haha.

t_oz

That being said @rcmantjk, has anyone else tried this. I read the directions on the bullseye shellac and it said if your are going to paint over it to use this instead. Of course the directions on this say that its for interior use only but with a 2k clear I don't see how any elements could get to it to affect the shellac.

Clayton853

So got two questions. Can you spray the Shellac with the paint guns or is it better to brush on? And after that could you just use the OHW paint for the base coat?

K2Concepts

If it comes in a gallon can? Then yea you can shoot it with a spray gun...and yes according to the statement above you can lay down any topcoat over the Shellac...

MommaMeme

Do you still shellac treated wood?
I think a few hydro dipped outside table legs would be awesome.

WileECoyote

@MommaMeme You need to give the print a solid base to bite too. The print itself is a chemical adhesion (the activator) and it won't bite to bare wood. I believe treated wood is also not kiln dried, so it moves around a lot, cracks and does not take coatings well. I suspect trying to get a coating to stick to it would be nearly impossible.

You are welcomed to try, we would love to see the results. If you can deal with an imperfect end product, it might be just fine for what you want to do.