Hey everyone! I'm working on a wood finish for a guitar amplifier cabinet, and I'm trying to replicate the vintage pinstripe speaker cloth look like what's seen on old Marshall gear. I plan to face glue several 1"x 17" strips of Baltic Birch plywood together to achieve this effect. However, I'm worried about the uniformity of the end grain, which hasn't seemed very consistent based on my past wood projects. Are there any techniques, tricks, or products (like dyes, oils, finishes, etc.) that can help smooth out the appearance of the end grain? I'd prefer to avoid any opaque finishes that would cover the wood grain. Thanks for your help!
3 Answers
Have you checked out SpectraPly? It could save you a lot of time and hassle compared to gluing your own plywood strips together. It offers a more consistent finish that might fit what you're going for.
Honestly, you might want to reconsider using Baltic Birch for this. The end grain is just not going to give you that uniform look you’re hoping for. Depending on how picky you are about the appearance, it might be better to explore other materials that would suit your needs better.
I've got to say, making the end grain of plywood look like solid wood is a tough challenge. I've tried it and it really won't give you that ‘regular wood’ look no matter what technique you use. If you want some contrast, a solvent-based polyurethane varnish might help on those edges, bringing out some definition while still highlighting the natural grain.
Yeah, I agree! Using a good finish can really enhance the overall look and highlight the grain variations, even if the edges aren't completely uniform.