Oak staining help

[mark]

Greetings All, I'm staining some QS red oak and need an idea how to minimize the darkening of the end grain. I know why it happens, I just don't know how to prevent it. Thanks as always, Mark

[B A R R Y]

Sand the ends a grit or two higher, or seal the ends with a spit coat (1/2 alcohol / 1/2 shellac) of Seal Coat.

Test it on a fully prepped scrap.

---------------------------------------------

** **

---------------------------------------------

[mark]

Thanks, Barry. I'll try it now. I also have some Minwax sanding sealer laying around. May be worth a try on the other end of the scrap......

[mark]

It worked like a champ! The ends are a perfect match for the face grain. I wasn't sure if it was ok to use amber shellac, but it's all I have on hand. And I just noticed my copy of Jeff Jewitts "Great Wood Finishes" came today, where he suggests the same thing. Many thanks.