[Wet Thumb Forum]-Black Stain or Flat Black Paint w/ Primer for DIY Hood - DIY Aquarium Projects

imported_BSS · 08-02-2004, 03:09 AM

Okay, I'm finally gonna jump into my 46 gal bf DIY hood this coming weekend. I've got a design drawn up, so I've got an excuse to go out and buy a new tool or two

.

One of my last decisions is whether to paint or to stain. I've got the black AGA bowfront stand. The one with the vertical (pine?) wood slats running up and down along the front. Looking at my current smaller, DIY hood, the flat black paint matches okay. But, the stand appears to me like it is stained. So, I'm considering staining the hood as well.

Any pros/cons with stain versus paint? Does stain have any water proofing characteristics, as I would guess that the primer would? Or is it definitely safer to stick with primer/paint?

Thoughts?
Brian.

imported_BSS · 08-02-2004, 03:09 AM

Okay, I'm finally gonna jump into my 46 gal bf DIY hood this coming weekend. I've got a design drawn up, so I've got an excuse to go out and buy a new tool or two

.

One of my last decisions is whether to paint or to stain. I've got the black AGA bowfront stand. The one with the vertical (pine?) wood slats running up and down along the front. Looking at my current smaller, DIY hood, the flat black paint matches okay. But, the stand appears to me like it is stained. So, I'm considering staining the hood as well.

Any pros/cons with stain versus paint? Does stain have any water proofing characteristics, as I would guess that the primer would? Or is it definitely safer to stick with primer/paint?

Thoughts?
Brian.

nino · 08-02-2004, 03:17 AM

I stained mine : http://www.msnusers.com/webnino/30gl...al.msnw?Page=1

I'm not really an expert on carpenting but I think the most important is the finishing coat. More coatings mean more water proof. I haven't had any problem yet with it.

docjosh · 08-02-2004, 05:36 AM

Brian,
There are two steps here to the finishing. One is the stain which will pull out the color of the wood and based on the color stain determine how dark the wood will look. The second step is to put on a finish like a polyurathane. The polyurathane is what will protect the wood from water marks as well as give it a little glossy look (there are options for how glossy or flat you want the final product). The key to having a professional looking finish is going to be sanding. Even though it seems counter productive you should sand inbetween your coats of polyurathane and plan on doing 2-3 coats. Your final product will be rugged similar to paint but I think might take a little more time than paint and of course will show errors in woodworking where as paint can cover up about anything. Personally I love the color of wood so I stain and polyurathane. ~Josh

JERP · 08-02-2004, 06:46 AM

Aesthetically, If you want to see the wood grain, use stain. If you don't, use paint. Many black stain end up looking grayish black when done based on the grain pattern.

Do a test. Paint half a piece of leftover wood scrap and stain the other half. When you stain, do the finish sealing coats and everything. Then you know what you stand will look like.

Aqua Dave · 08-02-2004, 08:56 AM

I'd go with paint unless you really want the wood grain to show. Much easier and much less time consuming. You could go with a semi-gloss if you want something of a shiny look. Staining would only be worth it if you were going to use nice wood.

I think the AGA stands are painted. You might want to zip them an e-mail and ask.

David

imported_BSS · 08-03-2004, 02:19 AM

Good comments, folks. Thanks!

I do like the look of the wood, but I also question my wood working "talents"

. I have some former hoods that I've painted, so maybe a small stain/poly test on a scrap piece might be worth the effort (if I can muster the patience). Perhaps the decision will be driven by how nice the grain on the front piece (to be fashioned out of "door skin" material) ends up looking!

Detox · 08-08-2004, 02:33 PM

BSS, I recently purchased a 46 gallon bowfront tank and stand. I am also looking into creating a DIY canopy for the lights etc,

I would be very interested in seeing any designs and pictures of your creation.

Cheers,

Detox

imported_BSS · 08-09-2004, 04:29 AM

I had hoped to knock out the DIY hood this weekend. The nice, rectangular back piece got knocked out in a few hours. I'm still wrestling (as expected!) with the curved front piece. I'm hoping to create a new thread with a gallery of pictures once I get it completed. With luck, I should have it ready to document by next week. Stay tuned!

Detox · 08-09-2004, 05:50 AM

I am looking forward to it.

How did you design the hood to open?