Finishing Question

[Brian Riley]

Hoping you all can help......

I'm trying to get some white oak to color that traditional "cherry" color (you know, that typical deep burgundy color found on store-bought "cherry" furniture). I have been mixing, testing, more mixing and trying to have some patience, but to no avail. I just can't seem to find that right color.

Any ideas or should I start looking towards using dyes as opposed to the traditional stains? The biggest problem is the chip guide at the store is never close even though they say it was used on oak.

Any input would be a help.

Thanks,
Brian

[Brian Hale]

Have you tried Bartley gel finish? I had good results with 2 coats of the Pennslvania Cherry and 2 coats of poly.


Brian

[Todd Burch]

Brian Riley, to what grit are you sanding before applying what kind of stain?

[Brian Riley]

Thanks for the info Brian H.
I just went to Rockler and was wondering if the Pennsylvania Cherry would give that dark burgundy color.

Todd....I'm finishing with 220 grit and using the basic off-the-shelf Minwax (straight and in different combinations). In fact I let the stain sit on a piece of test wood overnight without any better results.

I'll be the very first to admit....I HATE the staining / finishing part of projects so that is my weakest area. The problem is that's the part that makes the project shine.

Brian

[Todd Burch]

Brian, resand to 150 grit or 120 grit, with the grain, by hand (not a random orbit sander) and restain and watch what happens. You'll be surprised. The coarser grit will create ALL KINDS of scratches that pigment will get trapped in and it will be much darker the next time around.

[Brian Riley]

Thanks Todd....

I'll go give that a shot. I have mixed up the color I'm looking for so hopefully the sanding will make the difference I need.

Brian

[Brian Riley]

Well it definitely had an impact on the saturation of the wood. I'll go for another coat tomorrow morning.

On the same topic.....can anyone recommend a good book on finishes, stains, gels, dyes, topcoats, etc.?

Thanks,
Brian

[Waymon Campbell]

Well it definitely had an impact on the saturation of the wood. I'll go for another coat tomorrow morning.

On the same topic.....can anyone recommend a good book on finishes, stains, gels, dyes, topcoats, etc.?

Thanks,
Brian

Brian - I have found Jeff Jewitt's "Complete Illustrated Guide to Finishing" an invaluable resource.

[Todd Burch]

Several times a month I refer back to "Understanding Wood Finishing" by Bob Flexner. It's the best book I have on the subject. I think I've read it through twice. (Or as my Grandpa used to say, "twiced")

[Don Selke]

Hi Brian:
I do not know how far you have come with your finishing, as a suggestion you may want to try to use a TransTint dye prior to staining the oak. I use redish brown mixed with alcahol or a 1#cut of shellac depending on the application and the type of material. The TransTint dye will pre-color the material prior to staining. I would also not sand beyond 150 grit or 180 grit. Cut a piece of scrap material and experiment with it rather then your project. Do not know how you are applying your finish but I spray the TransTint dye and my finish coats with HVLP conversion gun.
TransTint or Universal dyes can give you a lot of neat results. They can be mixed with each other for experimentation. If the first coat of dye is not to your satisifaction you can give a second coat etc. prior to staining.
Remember, experiment on scrap material and not your finished project.
By the way, this is my first post on this forum, I am a new member and hope that this information was helpful.

[Brian Riley]

Thanks for all the responses. I will look into those two books.

I think I will be going the dye route with this. The sanding really did open up the wood but the stain coloring came out very non-uniformed.

Don, thanks for the info. I also use an HVLP to spray whatever finishes I use that are considered "sprayable". This will be my first playtime with dyes so we will see how it goes......and I always use scrap first.

BTW - Welcome aboard. I'm also new here and have enjoyed it.


Brian

[Hal Flynt]

I almost hate to add this, but I will.

I needed to make some quick accessories for my office that were that deep purple burgundy color.

I found MinWax Polyshades in Bombay Mahogany that very closely matched the "cheap" office furniture my company provides. I put on 3 coats and man did it pick up some nibs of dust. So in a panic, I used some 600 grit wet or dry sandpaper and wet sanded the top to remove the dust and then waxed with 0000 steel wool to an acceptable finish.

I may even do this again.

[Brian Riley]

Hal...

What wood did you use to make your accessories?


Brian

[Hal Flynt]

I used the Borg 3/4 birch ply for panels and popular for face frames and trim. The top was actually a 3/4 ash ply with popular molding for edging. Very subtle grain showing through. One piece was the HD sandply which required sanding between the 1st and 2nd coats.

On other words a lot of different woods, all light colored.