I'm starting some built in cabinet/bookshelves and mantle from some really outstanding curly quartersawn white oak I've had in the shop for a few years. I'd like to have a finish dark enough to work with a craftsman style design, but I really want something that will highlight the figure in this wood. Any recommendations?
Rockler's "Mission Oak" gel stain is my current favorite for quarter sawn white oak. AAMOF, I just finished applying some just a few hours ago to corner cabinet parts (pre-assembly/glue-up) I'm currently building:
A top coat of amber shellac will also darken it to be more consistent with the fumed oak look of yore.
You'll want to go here
I have done a variation of this where my first color was a bright orange dye that was supposed to be golden oak but was really golden and orngey. Then I followed the steps as he outlines. It really did add a glow to the rays and flakes.
Another addition I have used is to leave lots of the overstain gel stain not just in the cracks and corners but coming out form the corners too. I just do a lite wipe down to leave very darkened patches to create a more antiqued look. It is an art but you can always wipe it all the way down if you screw up and try again before it dries.
F> I'm starting some built in cabinet/bookshelves and mantle from some
Oh yeah, test it on scraps to get the color you want. Use the same sanding grits and go all the way to the final step to be sure it looks like you want. Different levels of gloss make a big difference and some folks like it flat and some like that lacquer look. Also, some people add orange to the trans-tint as a variation.
One more thing... I started using trans tint mixed in alcohol because it wouldn't rasie the grain and I liked that because it would be less work. Problem is that on any sizable piece it is really hard to do because it dries to fast and it is really easy to great bad lap marks, etc. You can add some Isopropyl alcohol to the mix to slow the drying but that only helps a little. So now I mix the trans tint with water. You still need to be careful about lap marks but you can wash them out if they do occur. You need to watch for seepage and wicking if you get thet trans tint into joinst as well, so careful application is the key, maybe even do the dye before assembly where possible.
I used that finiishing schedule and I can vouch for it. Step 3, the glaze, is what makes the rays stand out. The contrasting glaze only stays in the pores of the oak and the rays have no pores. Consequantly, the rays appear lighter and stan out more.
Regards<
Steve
Thanks for the replies. I had heard previously that fuming detracted from the figure in curly wood, but I obviously haven't tried it. I'll cut a few test pieces and give these suggestions a shot.
S> Oh yeah, test it on scraps to get the color you want. Use the same
Looks nice. I'll get a can of this on the way and give it a shot on a test piece. I'm going to try fuming a piece as well. I really want the figure of this wood to stand out.
"DS" wrote
Smart move ... experiment to see what works for what you're trying to accomplish. Even the log you got your wood from can make a big difference in the final results, as well as a different location in the same log, so it definitely pays to experiment with scrap from the project.
Stickley had the same problem and had to resort to methods other than fuming to get consistent results.
I've tried fuming and found that the aforementioned stain product got me very close to the desired results with much less hassle.
As always YMMV ...
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