# Advice needed for finishing Beetle Kill Interior Paneling



## kevinearle (Feb 6, 2016)

Hi,

I'm new to working with Beetle Kill wood and am looking for tips on finishing a large amount of interior paneling. 
I want to achieve a matte finish that won't yellow overtime. I also wan't to highlight and preserve the unique colors of the wood. 
Because of the square footage I would like it to spray the finish but am open to other options. 
What type of sealer and matte finish would you recommend that won't yellow?

Any advice and/or experience would be much appreciated!

Thank You!

-Kevin


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## CueballRosendaul (Jul 16, 2012)

I'm sure you'll finish a few samples before doing anything on the paneling. I built a pair of BKP side tables over the summer (www.lumberjocks.com/projects/187450) and used boiled linseed oil to bring out the colors, then several coats of water based poly. The poly will keep it color stable because it has UV blockers. The BLO did yellow the pine a little bit but it just made it warm and helped the blues and greens pop. Without it, the pine would be too white.

I've finished other projects with just water based poly and regretted how it didn't pop the grain or colors. An oil finish will look similar to the "preview" you get by wiping down with mineral spirits. You'd have to wipe the oil on, but the poly could be sprayed.

I notice you didn't say pine, but just said "beetle kill". If it is pine, make sure it's kiln dried, otherwise it may start oozing sap.


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## kevinearle (Feb 6, 2016)

Thank you so much Matt!, I will definitely make a few samples and see how it comes out. It is pine, and it is also kiln dried. One more question about using BLO. Will BLO sufficiently seal the wood? Other products I have used seem to endlessly penetrate the wood and I would like to do something that will only require a single sealing coat and 2 coats of poly. Do you think your suggested method would accomplish this? I usually don't mind coating things until they are perfect but am trying to avoid having to do much more than 2 coats because of how much square footage I need to do. Thanks again for your response.


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