Staining Beech Table

[Jeff Webber]

Hi Guys,

First post, and first woodworking project in a long time (basically since High School). So I bought this Ikea table to use as a desk, and its solid beech. Really nice solid piece of wood, and it's unfinished. So no varnish or anything on it. I'd like to give it a some stain and then finish to protect it, but I'm unsure where to start. I've been doing some research on Beech, and I've been seeing people complain that beech does not take stain well, and it blotches. Somebody (can't remember where) suggested going in first with a dye stain, and then following that up with a regular stain, and then finish. I've been looking at the General Finishes products and from what I can see by what others have said, they seem to be pretty high quality, or at least higher quality than Minwax. I am really interested in doing the water based stains and finishes since I will be doing this in my apartment, and not really looking forward to volatile solvents in a confined space. So I am thinking dye stain, then water based stain, and finally EF PolyAcrylic water based top coat in satin. Am I on the right track here? I am enclosing a picture of what I'd like the finished product to look like. I'm looking for the color second to the left. Any input on what stain/dye colors I should look to achieving this effect? Obviously I know you can't give me an exact use this stain and it will look like this, but I'd appreciate a ballpark.

Thanks in advance!

Jeff

[Larry Uher]

If beech is harder to stain, you could have gotten the oak countertop there:
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40057396/
I'm thinking about replacing my kitchen island top with one of the 73x39 ones.

[Jeff Webber]

I didn't get the countertop. I got this.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50106773/

It is a table top. Yes, I could have gotten the oak counter top but not a huge fan of the oak. The fact remains that I have this table, and want to stain it. What are my best options?

[Brett Robson]

I've not stained beech before, but if it's showing a propensity for blotching, I'd use some Charles Neil's Blotch Control first, then a water based dye.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfCYMdrP8rM

[Jerry Thompson]

+1 on the Blotch Control.

[Larry Uher]

Another option for blotching is the formula in this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjwgaADLr9w

[phil harold]

I got this.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50106773/

The fact remains that I have this table, and want to stain it. What are my best options?
From their product information tab


The surface has been treated with oil. For full protection, oil it regularly with wood oil

Danish oil may be the solution for you
http://www.rustoleum.com/CBGProduct.asp?pid=46

[Prashun Patel]

Use a dye stain. Transtint makes some colors that are easy to mix with water. Unlike the pigment stains you might buy, dye stains (in addition to coloring more evenly and less blotchy) don't contain a binder to seal the wood. That means you can mix your dye 'light' and then keep applying it until you get the depth you want.

The dye will dry muted. Don't be put off. How it looks wet is how it will look when topcoated.

[Jeff Webber]

Hi Phil,

Thanks for that. Nice Catch! I didn't see that notation. The top does not feel treated though. So I guess this changes the question a bit. If it has already been treated with oil, it seems the strategy would need to change. I don't want an oily top since this is a desk, and I don't want oil seeping into my papers. So can you oil wood, say with Danish oil, and then top off with polyurethane after it dries? How about darkening the wood?

Thanks,

Jeff

[Jeff Webber]

Well, now that we know it has been treated with oil at factory, does the dye stain still make sense? Any beading issues to be concerned with? It certainly doesn't feel oily by any means. What about waterlox? Though I am concerned with volatility with waterlox.

[Prashun Patel]

Once a finish has been applied, it's hard to get any kind of penetrating stain to work with predictability. You might consider looking into a gel stain now. Gel stains sit closer to the surface; they actually act like a hybrid between stain and paint.

If it were me (and I'm no pro, I'd do this) on the underside:

Sprinkle mineral spirits on the surface, and wetsand the surface with 220 grit. This will clean and smooth the surface.
Apply a gel stain of the appropriate color in the center only.
Re-apply until the color gently until it achieves the appropriate target.
Let dry thoroughly and spray a thin coat of shellac to seal in the color.
If the surface is rough, then sand extremely lightly with 320 or 400 grit.
Finally topcoat with your choice.

[Steve Schoene]

Mostly the concept of an oil finish means a drying oil, such as BLO or better a danish oil, which is a mix of blo and varnish. In either case, the oil cures and becomes a solid "plastic" it can't leach out onto the surface. I don't understand your concern about volatility with waterlox. Waterlox is just a line of varnishes, with the Original/Sealer being thinned enough to be used as a wiping varnish. Yes, the thinner does evaporate--that is a sort of volatility but I don't see where that would lead to a real concern. You would of course work in a space with some ventilation, but it's not the large amounts of thinner that would be a problem if you were spraying lacquer.

[Jeff Webber]

Steve, I live in a small apartment and don't have access to a garage or covered area outside. I do have a window in the room where I'll be working, but even with that, I'd probably have to wear an organic vapor respirator, which I don't want to do. That is the kind of volatility I am talking about. In fact that's the scientific definition of volatility (the rate at which a solvent evaporates from a heterogenous solution). I won't be spraying, I will be applying most likely with a foam brush.

[Scott Holmes]

Doing a small table top with the window open... I probably would not even use a respirator. It's mineral spirits not lacquer thinner.

Using the proper wipe on process for thaat size top should take about 2 minutes. Then, you can leave the room for an hour or so.