Easiest way to pop ray fleck in white oak?

[Bruno Frontera dela Cruz]

I will be finishing some white oak soon and want to accentuate the ray fleck but don't what to overcomplicate things. I would like to darken the wood a bit to create some contrast against the fleck but don't necessarily want to dye the wood one color, seal then apply pigment of another color...or is this the only way?Ay suggestions would be appreciated.

[Scott Holmes]

What are you building? Some like the look of wood dyed then sanded to leave the dye only on the rays. Works very well on birds eye maple.

Seal it then appling a pigment stain would be really a glaze. You can dye the wood sand it back a bit then apply a pigment stain BEFORE you seal it. Really depends on the look you want and the colors you pick.

[Bruno Frontera dela Cruz]

I am building a bookcase.

[Chris Fournier]

Due to the nature of the grain orientation in quartered white oak I don't think that you have to do a single thing to accentuate the ray fleck. The tangential rays do not take on stain or dye like the quartered wood, they stand out on their own merit light rays, dark quartered wood!

[Craig Michael]

You can fume quarter sawn white oak to get the flecks to pop. http://thewoodwhisperer.com/finishing-quartersawn-white-oak/

[ben searight]

208317 Here's a sample from the beds I'm building, 4 coats of Watco Danish oil in Fruitwood. No topcoat on it yet.

[Russell Neyman]

I've had good success with fuming (ammonia) followed by a very light sanding with 300 grit. It removes just a small amount of the darken grains on the flat specs and gives you the enhancement you're looking for.

[John TenEyck]

I saw someone's recent posting (could have been on another forum) of a QSWO project finished with walnut Watco then topcoated with a wiping varnish. It was spectacular, and so simple. Jeff Jewitt's website has a lot of info. on creating various colors on QSWO, but they all involve dye, seal, glaze, seal, topcoat, if I remember correctly.

[Bruno Frontera dela Cruz]

Thanks guys. I am going to try waterlox as the primary coating, then top it with some brown paste wax...we will see how it goes.