darken finish

[Kevin McMichael]

I have made some end tables. I used garnet shellac. My wife thinks that they are too red! Can I darken by using ebony Briwax? I do not want to refinish them. She would like more of a dark brown color. I am red/green colorblind and perplexed.

In the future I am planning on trying some analine ebony dye and shellac.

[Chris Padilla]

You can try the wax but it will wear off over time and the red will 'creep' back into view. I guess if you touch them up regularly, it could work.

Why not take some scrap...finish like you did the end tables...and then try some other finishes over the shellac. You can put just about anything on shellac if it is dewaxed...although I think lacquer doesn't care if the shellac has wax in it or not.

What kind of wood did you use? If it was cherry, put it in the sun and see if it darkens enough. Cherry naturally darkens over time anyway....

[Casey Gooding]

you can also use a dark gel stain to darken up the finish. Use right over the shellac. Once dry, use clear shellac (or blonde or whatever) to topcoat.

[Kevin McMichael]

You can try the wax but it will wear off over time and the red will 'creep' back into view. I guess if you touch them up regularly, it could work.

Why not take some scrap...finish like you did the end tables...and then try some other finishes over the shellac. You can put just about anything on shellac if it is dewaxed...although I think lacquer doesn't care if the shellac has wax in it or not.

What kind of wood did you use? If it was cherry, put it in the sun and see if it darkens enough. Cherry naturally darkens over time anyway....

It was white oak.