# Mounting a baseboard heater high on a wall



## erics37 (May 7, 2009)

This isn't for a work-related job, it's for the workshop at the back of my garage.

I'm going to be refinishing an antique table soon so I need to put some heat in my workshop. I don't want fan forced heat or anything else that actively moves air, because I don't want to stir up dust that will get stuck in tacky varnish.

I have a 4' baseboard heater but I don't want to put it on the floor because I'm always stacking sh!t there. Is there any reason I can't mount it like 4 or 5 feet up on the wall?


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## MTW (Aug 28, 2013)

Knock your socks off. I see no issue with that.


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

It will only heat above it so if you are good with cold legs and feet ....


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## erics37 (May 7, 2009)

MTW said:


> Knock your socks off. I see no issue with that.


I imagine it probably wouldn't heat the air up as efficiently but  who cares, it's a workshop.


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## erics37 (May 7, 2009)

BBQ said:


> It will only heat above it so if you are good with cold legs and feet ....


It's not for human comfort, it's just to try to get the room up to a reasonable temperature so stain and polyurethane and whatnot will cure properly.

It's a small room too, probably 6' x 14', and well insulated on the exterior walls, so I imagine it won't take much to heat it up in there.


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## ponyboy (Nov 18, 2012)

If it doesn't say you can't go for it. And if it says you can't go for it anyway!


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## MTW (Aug 28, 2013)

erics37 said:


> I imagine it probably wouldn't heat the air up as efficiently but  who cares, it's a workshop.


Obviously it would be more efficient if you're only heating a small, insulated space. How big is the room?


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

erics37 said:


> It's not for human comfort, it's just to try to get the room up to a reasonable temperature so stain and polyurethane and whatnot will cure properly.


Go for it, you could always place a small fan on the floor aimed up to stir the air up.


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## papaotis (Jun 8, 2013)

that is right eric, its not as efficient, but it will still heat the room. but why so high?


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## erics37 (May 7, 2009)

papaotis said:


> that is right eric, its not as efficient, but it will still heat the room. but why so high?





erics37 said:


> I have a 4' baseboard heater but I don't want to put it on the floor because I'm always stacking sh!t there.


....


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## ponyboy (Nov 18, 2012)

papaotis said:


> that is right eric, its not as efficient, but it will still heat the room. but why so high?


He stacks dead midgets 6 high


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## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

Actually the worst install for electric heat is directly on the floor...~CS~


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

ponyboy said:


> He stacks dead midgets 6 high


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## RGH (Sep 12, 2011)

BBQ hits it on the head.....cheapo $15 box fan for other projects I use 2 1500 watt-hydronic types if I have to work on car/trucks. My garage is insulated and sheet-rocked 1hr and it is 55 out there and 20 outside. I installed a split 20amp recept wired w/10-3 to power up my 2 portable heaters....my panel is 5' away from back wall of garage this works great and I can use the heaters for other projects away from shop if need be.


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## papaotis (Jun 8, 2013)

my shop is heated with wood, 24/7 (if someone feeds it) back-up gas furnace vis set at 50. goin thruogh lots of wood this year!


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## Hack Work (Dec 29, 2013)

It doesn't matter what height you put the heater, that hot air is going to rise straight up to the ceiling anyway. Then after a while it will mix and normalize with the other air and warm up the room. A small fan to help it circulate will help this happen faster.


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## erics37 (May 7, 2009)

You guys have reading comprehension problems.



erics37 said:


> This isn't for a work-related job, it's for the workshop at the back of my garage.
> 
> I'm going to be refinishing an antique table soon so I need to put some heat in my workshop. *I don't want fan forced heat or anything else that actively moves air, because I don't want to stir up dust that will get stuck in tacky varnish.*
> 
> I have a 4' baseboard heater but I don't want to put it on the floor because I'm always stacking sh!t there. Is there any reason I can't mount it like 4 or 5 feet up on the wall?


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

erics37 said:


> You guys have reading comprehension problems.


We don't care what you want. 

Sounds like radiant heaters would be better for you


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## rewire (Jul 2, 2013)

BBQ said:


> Go for it, you could always place a small fan on the floor aimed up to stir the air up.


place a fan on the floor in a room with a freshly varnished table, not a good idea.


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## papaotis (Jun 8, 2013)

i dont care what kind of heat you get, air moves!:whistling2:


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## MTW (Aug 28, 2013)




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## RGH (Sep 12, 2011)

Yes I understand your issue....having said that future projects may not have air born particulate issues...hence the fan.....


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## rewire (Jul 2, 2013)

what temperature range do you need to provide proper curing? you could probably maintain50-60 degrees without added heat source.


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## dspiffy (Nov 25, 2013)

papaotis said:


> i dont care what kind of heat you get, air moves!:whistling2:


An air filter is very helpful in refinishing.


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## ponyboy (Nov 18, 2012)

What about exhaust? Necessary?


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## rewire (Jul 2, 2013)

ponyboy said:


> What about exhaust? Necessary?


what...huh......dude......


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## ponyboy (Nov 18, 2012)

rewire said:


> what...huh......dude......


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## Jlarson (Jun 28, 2009)

What about dead midgets? Lol


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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

BBQ said:


> It will only heat above it so if you are good with cold legs and feet ....


Not true. Natural circulation will still occur. Mother Nature always wants to even out air temperatures. Every hear of wind?


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## nrp3 (Jan 24, 2009)

How about?

http://www.morelectricheating.com/products/HEATING/COMFORT HEATERS/COVE HEATERS.aspx


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## CraigV (May 12, 2011)

pfft, nayvermind, eric beat me to it.


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## A Little Short (Nov 11, 2010)

IMHO, you would need to place a piece of baseboard on the wall below the heater. If not, this will likely void the UL listing of it being a baseboard heater.
You could also have the heater re-listed as a wall heater, but your finish will be ruined by the time the testing is done to make it a wall heater!


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

99cents said:


> Not true. Natural circulation will still occur. Mother Nature always wants to even out air temperatures. Every hear of wind?


Regardless, it will be much colder below it than above it.


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## erics37 (May 7, 2009)

rewire said:


> what temperature range do you need to provide proper curing? you could probably maintain50-60 degrees without added heat source.


Depends on the finish, but generally I want it room temperature. It was like mid-40s in there the other day and I stained & varnished a little scrap piece of western hemlock as an experiment. It worked fine, I just had to let each coat cure for 24 hours or so. But with the table I want to do it as perfectly as possible so I want it warmer in there. Anyway standing there working on projects in a 40 degree room sucks :laughing:



ponyboy said:


> What about exhaust? Necessary?


I have a through-the-wall exhaust fan in there for when I'm using some really gnarley stuff. But the strategy for the wood refinishing is, do all the prep work (sanding, etc) for each coat, then let the dust settle as much as possible, then wipe it down with a tack cloth, apply a coat, and then shut the door and leave so as not to stir up more crap. After an hour or so, when the finish is a bit tacky, I can go in and check it out for dust particles or another contaminants and dab them off with a teeny tiny pointy artist paintbrush.


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## Semi-Ret Electrician (Nov 10, 2011)

How about a few halogen work lights? They're output is 80% heat anyway and will provide both conducted and radiated heat, not to mention light.

Since they're sealed up pretty well you will be a little safer than having a red hot surface around, if you spray.


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## NacBooster29 (Oct 25, 2010)

Why mount it so high? ....lol
Is it for heating the dead midgets?


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## sheepgotoheaven510 (Dec 17, 2013)

Space Heater?


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## TOOL_5150 (Aug 27, 2007)

this thread delivers!


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## NacBooster29 (Oct 25, 2010)

Can you mount it lower? Like 2" off floor.
I would read the instructions


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## butcher733 (Aug 4, 2012)

what kind of varnish are you going to use?


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## electricmanscott (Feb 11, 2010)

Don't forget to use a fan to drive the warm air down. :laughing:


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## Big John (May 23, 2010)

Set fire to the garage. It'll take care of your heating and varnishing concerns.


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## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

Oh crap, 30 plus years in the trade an I have never wired a baseboard heater. I don't even know if I have ever seen one.
Why do you guys heat baseboards? 
Is that something like heating hot water?


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## CraigV (May 12, 2011)

Take a hint from frathouses and glue your finishing projects to the ceiling. This kills two birds with one stone...it's warmer near the ceiling, so the heater will be more effective, and dust doesn't settle "up", so you'll have a perfect finish every time.

You have my permission to submit this suggestion to Fine Homebuilding.


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## 3xdad (Jan 25, 2011)

http://www.radiantsystemsinc.com/gallery/?ga=image&u=wood-shop-heater-off-white#list


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## erics37 (May 7, 2009)

butcher733 said:


> what kind of varnish are you going to use?


For the table, polyurethane. I know a cabinet/furniture maker guy and he suggested I try a wipe-on poly. Wipes on kind of like an oil, so no brush strokes. Light sand between coats with 220 grit or so, until the final coat, then it's like 600 grit sand. And then I'll experiment with polishing.

I went to the wood store place today and got various solvents and finishes and other goodies, so I'm going to experiment with some scraps I have. I'll give some pieces a stain, and then finish it with various methods. Different polyurethanes, shellac, and I'll give the French polish method a try but I hear that's a bitch :laughing:


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## erics37 (May 7, 2009)

Well I got a heater installed today. Just a 4-foot baseboard. Went in just fine, but getting the circuit from my panel to workshop was a bitch  Took me half the day and I missed the 2nd half of the Colts/Chiefs game, which turned out to be a nailbiter 

Anyway it's in there and it's cookin away, heats things up just fine. The old beat up thermostat I dug out of a cardboard box is FUBAR though, like 10 degrees out of whack :laughing: So I'm gonna get a cheap digital one and throw it in there.


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## Edrick (Jun 6, 2010)

Stock up on 100watt bulbs and make a custom fixture after all that's all they're good for is releasing heat


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## butcher733 (Aug 4, 2012)

erics37 said:


> For the table, polyurethane. I know a cabinet/furniture maker guy and he suggested I try a wipe-on poly. Wipes on kind of like an oil, so no brush strokes. Light sand between coats with 220 grit or so, until the final coat, then it's like 600 grit sand. And then I'll experiment with polishing.
> 
> I went to the wood store place today and got various solvents and finishes and other goodies, so I'm going to experiment with some scraps I have. I'll give some pieces a stain, and then finish it with various methods. Different polyurethanes, shellac, and I'll give the French polish method a try but I hear that's a bitch :laughing:


 Poly is the devil. I would never put poly on anything unless it is considered disposable. If you ever want to refinish or repair that table you better be willing to sand the whole thing down to bare wood. I would highly recommend a shellac. It will dry quickly and cut down on dust nibs. It also repairs easily if need be. Shellac may not have the outright protective qualities of poly but inthe long run its miles better.


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## MTW (Aug 28, 2013)

erics37 said:


> Well I got a heater installed today. Just a 4-foot baseboard. Went in just fine, but getting the circuit from my panel to workshop was a bitch  Took me half the day and I missed the 2nd half of the Colts/Chiefs game, which turned out to be a nailbiter


We need details. Why was it so difficult?


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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

MTW said:


> We need details. Why was it so difficult?


He was paying himself by the hour. Old habits die hard.


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## Shockdoc (Mar 4, 2010)

I would just plug one of these in and call it a day


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## 8V71 (Dec 23, 2011)

erics37 said:


> Well I got a heater installed today. Just a 4-foot baseboard. Went in just fine, but getting the circuit from my panel to workshop was a bitch  Took me half the day and I missed the 2nd half of the Colts/Chiefs game, which turned out to be a nailbiter
> 
> Anyway it's in there and it's cookin away, heats things up just fine. The old beat up thermostat I dug out of a cardboard box is FUBAR though, like 10 degrees out of whack :laughing: So I'm gonna get a cheap digital one and throw it in there.


Was there 6' of snow on the ground or was the extension cord like all knotted to hell and too short? :whistling2:

Mount the thermostat crooked and it will be just like new. :laughing:


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## SteveBayshore (Apr 7, 2013)

What is the flash-point of your finishing materials. Do the instructions mention anything about a well ventilated area? Also what is the surface temperature of the heating elements?


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## butcher733 (Aug 4, 2012)

SteveBayshore said:


> What is the flash-point of your finishing materials. Do the instructions mention anything about a well ventilated area? Also what is the surface temperature of the heating elements?


Do you mean "catch on fire" or flash as in "open time before re-coat"?


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## sbrn33 (Mar 15, 2007)

3xdad said:


> http://www.radiantsystemsinc.com/gallery/?ga=image&u=wood-shop-heater-off-white#list


Made in Nebraska.:thumbsup:


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## RIVETER (Sep 26, 2009)

erics37 said:


> This isn't for a work-related job, it's for the workshop at the back of my garage.
> 
> I'm going to be refinishing an antique table soon so I need to put some heat in my workshop. I don't want fan forced heat or anything else that actively moves air, because I don't want to stir up dust that will get stuck in tacky varnish.
> 
> I have a 4' baseboard heater but I don't want to put it on the floor because I'm always stacking sh!t there. Is there any reason I can't mount it like 4 or 5 feet up on the wall?


No. You can do as you wish.


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## A Little Short (Nov 11, 2010)

butcher733 said:


> Poly is the devil. I would never put poly on anything unless it is considered disposable. If you ever want to refinish or repair that table you better be willing to sand the whole thing down to bare wood. I would highly recommend a shellac. It will dry quickly and cut down on dust nibs. It also repairs easily if need be. Shellac may not have the outright protective qualities of poly but inthe long run its miles better.


:no::blink::no::jester:


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## wendon (Sep 27, 2010)

erics37 said:


> Well I got a heater installed today. Just a 4-foot baseboard. Went in just fine, but getting the circuit from my panel to workshop was a bitch  Took me half the day and I missed the 2nd half of the Colts/Chiefs game, which turned out to be a nailbiter
> 
> Anyway it's in there and it's cookin away, heats things up just fine. The old beat up thermostat I dug out of a cardboard box is FUBAR though, like 10 degrees out of whack :laughing: So I'm gonna get a cheap digital one and throw it in there.


Oh boy!!!!


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## erics37 (May 7, 2009)

butcher733 said:


> Poly is the devil. I would never put poly on anything unless it is considered disposable. If you ever want to refinish or repair that table you better be willing to sand the whole thing down to bare wood. I would highly recommend a shellac. It will dry quickly and cut down on dust nibs. It also repairs easily if need be. Shellac may not have the outright protective qualities of poly but inthe long run its miles better.


Baloney. Poly is just fine if done properly. And the protective qualities are exactly why I'm going to use it. Anyway if it needs to be removed sometime in the distant future, methylene chloride stripper works just fine on it. In fact that's what I'm going to use to remove the existing finish and get it down to raw wood. It's a mahogany veneer so I won't be sanding it.

Shellac is great for some projects but not for a dining room table that we use all the time.



MTW said:


> We need details. Why was it so difficult?


Do you really need details? :laughing:


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## butcher733 (Aug 4, 2012)

erics37 said:


> Baloney. Poly is just fine if done properly. And the protective qualities are exactly why I'm going to use it. Anyway if it needs to be removed sometime in the distant future, methylene chloride stripper works just fine on it. In fact that's what I'm going to use to remove the existing finish and get it down to raw wood. It's a mahogany veneer so I won't be sanding it.
> 
> Shellac is great for some projects but not for a dining room table that we use all the time.
> 
> ...


Maybe I need re-educated about poly. Can you repair poly after it is fully cured? Last time I checked poly doesnt repair well due to a purely mechanical bond. Shellac cuts back into itself and repairs really well.

All that being said, I'm a tung oil guy.


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## erics37 (May 7, 2009)

butcher733 said:


> Maybe I need re-educated about poly. Can you repair poly after it is fully cured? Last time I checked poly doesnt repair well due to a purely mechanical bond. Shellac cuts back into itself and repairs really well.
> 
> All that being said, I'm a tung oil guy.


Shellac is pretty but it's useless for a heavily-used surface. A varnish is the way to go, and the polyurethane is durable enough that you won't need to repair it unless you stab a sword through your furniture or something.

I did a poly coat like 7 years ago on a cheap table we had, as well as the matching chair seats, and it still looks like the day it was first coated. We've used the hell out of that table too.

Unfortunately the poly is softer than some of the phenolic varnishes so it's tougher to polish it up to a "mirror" finish. But with some good coat build-up, sanding between layers, and then allowing it to cure fully (like a month) then getting a nice shine on it is pretty achievable. I hear a lot of people use some automotive polishing compounds.


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## backstay (Feb 3, 2011)

butcher733 said:


> Maybe I need re-educated about poly. Can you repair poly after it is fully cured? Last time I checked poly doesnt repair well due to a purely mechanical bond. Shellac cuts back into itself and repairs really well.
> 
> All that being said, I'm a tung oil guy.


We poly our wood floors. Seven coats, a light sanding between them. When we need to, we lightly sand and reapply more costs.


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## A Little Short (Nov 11, 2010)

erics37 said:


> Shellac is pretty but it's useless for a heavily-used surface. A varnish is the way to go, and the polyurethane is durable enough that you won't need to repair it unless you stab a sword through your furniture or something.
> 
> I did a poly coat like 7 years ago on a cheap table we had, as well as the matching chair seats, and it still looks like the day it was first coated. We've used the hell out of that table too.
> 
> Unfortunately the poly is softer than some of the phenolic varnishes so it's tougher to polish it up to a "mirror" finish. But with some good coat build-up, sanding between layers, and then allowing it to cure fully (like a month) then getting a nice shine on it is pretty achievable. I hear a lot of people use some automotive polishing compounds.


I'm in the process of refinishing an old bed right now. Just about ready to stain it. I've never used "wipe on" Poly before but I'm going to give it a try on this. Mainly because of all the carvings and turned posts on the bed. I'm afraid of the regular Poly running on me and thought this would be the perfect test for the wipe on stuff. 
I probably will have to put on more coats than usual, but that's ok.


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## erics37 (May 7, 2009)

A Little Short said:


> I'm in the process of refinishing an old bed right now. Just about ready to stain it. I've never used "wipe on" Poly before but I'm going to give it a try on this. Mainly because of all the carvings and turned posts on the bed. I'm afraid of the regular Poly running on me and thought this would be the perfect test for the wipe on stuff.
> I probably will have to put on more coats than usual, but that's ok.


What kind of wood is the bed?


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## Chris1971 (Dec 27, 2010)

erics37 said:


> What kind of wood is the bed?


Do you have pictures of your install?


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## A Little Short (Nov 11, 2010)

erics37 said:


> What kind of wood is the bed?


It appears to be maple.


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## erics37 (May 7, 2009)

A Little Short said:


> It appears to be maple.


Careful with staining maple. I've never worked with it but I've read some about it - it can turn out blotchy due to the wood texture and uneven absorption. You can google it; most resources seem to encourage using a sealer after sanding. Lots of people use a fairly lightweight cut of shellac prior to stain.


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## A Little Short (Nov 11, 2010)

erics37 said:


> Careful with staining maple. I've never worked with it but I've read some about it - it can turn out blotchy due to the wood texture and uneven absorption. You can google it; most resources seem to encourage using a sealer after sanding. Lots of people use a fairly lightweight cut of shellac prior to stain.


Yep, Minwax makes a pre-stain wood conditioner that helps the wood take the stain evenly.


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## dspiffy (Nov 25, 2013)

butcher733 said:


> All that being said, I'm a tung oil guy.


Once I discovered tung oil, I've never used any other type of finish except when I needed to match a specific color.




A Little Short said:


> Yep, Minwax makes a pre-stain wood conditioner that helps the wood take the stain evenly.


I use oxalic acid.


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## Veteran Sparky (Apr 21, 2021)

erics37 said:


> This isn't for a work-related job, it's for the workshop at the back of my garage.
> 
> I'm going to be refinishing an antique table soon so I need to put some heat in my workshop. I don't want fan forced heat or anything else that actively moves air, because I don't want to stir up dust that will get stuck in tacky varnish.
> 
> I have a 4' baseboard heater but I don't want to put it on the floor because I'm always stacking sh!t there. Is there any reason I can't mount it like 4 or 5 feet up on the wall?


Just get a infrared heater. Than you can put as high as you want within reason. Infrared heats objects, not the air.


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## emtnut (Mar 1, 2015)

Just mount the midgets up high, and put the BB heater below


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