newbie diy

[vmv1]

I am new to DIY and a complete novice; have always been fascinated by wood working but never ventured into it.
I recently moved to a new house and wanted to build some shelves in garage.
Took up this opportunity and started reading several forums, watched videos etc. The wall that I am going to hang is plasterboard and I managed to locate the internal studs using a detector and knocking with my hands.

I bought c16 stud timber to build shelves based on a basic bracket design. I intend to screw the c16 as columns to the internal studs at multiple locations. Attach the brackets to this column and screw a plywood on top of brackets as the actual shelf. Hope my explanation is clear.

My question is that can I stain or paint the c16 timber. I was told c16 is treated and fairly strong and was not sure if the stain would react adversely.

 

[Droogs]

Hi there and welcome, C16 is the UK grading for CLS (Canadian Lumber Standard) and is fine for what you want. It is soft wood and generally a fast growing version at that. This means there will be areas of the wood that are denser than other areas due to the way it grows, The thing you need to know is that if you put dye or stain on, it will absorb into the wood at different rates depending on how dense it is. You will end up with very blotchy finish, even paint will be blotchy if you don't put primer on first. So if you want a good finish, first sand to 240ish and then put on the first coat of primer, allow to dry and then rub with 320 and put on a second coat and then rub down again. Clean off with a "tack rag" and then paint with a sponge type roller. Put on a couple of coats lightly sanding "de-nibbing" in between and you should get a good smooth even finish.

hth

 

[vmv1]

Hi Droogs,

Many thanks for your reply. I will try as you have described and later share a picture of how it turns out.
I wanted to paint/stain the shelf as all the walls in the garage are painted and the shelf looks unfinished on its own.

I was drilling pilot holes using a 12v cordless drill and find that it takes a long time. I have 5mm screws (120mm,80mm in length) and some 6mm screws as well. I think I need to get a more powerful drill. I am thinking to get a corded drill that will last a long time as I would not be using the drills daily and do not want to be left out with unusable batteries.

Thanks again for your reply

 

[bourbon]

I know it sounds daft, But are your drill bits sharp?

 

[vmv1]

That is a very good question. I was thinking about the same, I have a assorted toolset (screw bits; drill bits HSS and spade bits) that I bought a few years back with a cordless drill. This was the first time I used them and I would think the drill bits are sharp.
I will try them out one more time and perhaps get a new set of drill bits. any recommendations?

 

[Myfordman]

Get a selection of lip and spur drills from a supplier like Wealden. They are top quality and perform well in softwood unlike other drills. Don't buy cheap sets from the sheds or ebay they are cr4p

 

[Stanleymonkey]

Welcome to the forum.

Good luck with the new house. It is a mind-popping time with all the jobs and projects - but I hope it is an exciting one for you as well.

Good luck