I would like to stain some oak in my new house so it has that antique oak look. I have tried aging the wood with lye then vinegar and then staining it with a blend of Minwax golden oak, walnut and red oak. I come close but it still doesn't have the desired aged look and color that I am after! Anyone have a suggestion they would like to share? Let me know. Jeff
Antique oak
Jan 07, 2005
2 Replies
If it's white oak, fumeing will give you the look your looking for i think.
eric
Which one ? Reddish brown or near black ?
Ammonia fuming is my favourite colouring technique for oak. You need to do it with ammonia vapour for the "Craftsman" brown. Using it as a painted-on liquid is easy, but it's a quick route to the darkest of Jacobean blacks. If you're working with already installed trim materials, this might be a problem. You may find a dye/stain technique is better for you, just because of this access issue.
I believe Jeff Jewitt's website has some good advice for dyes.
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