Jules Dominguez
05-10-2005, 11:29 PM
I had some bad experiences finishing red oak some years ago and my solution at that time was to stop using the stuff.
The first problem was using a water-based aniline dye, and the dye seeped through the wood pores from the top surface of the board to the underside without my being aware of it until it was too late. The area where it seeped through got a double dose of the aniline and I wasn't able to blend it out. I hadn't previously been aware that red oak pores are like hollow straws, and I learned it the hard way.
The second problem also involved the pores. I used a Watco Danish Oil finish and tiny drops of the oil kept seeping back up out of the pores, no matter how many times I wiped it off. I finally gave up and went to bed and the next morning more drops had surfaced and hardened and couldn't be wiped away.
I assume that if I had filled the pores before using the dye or the oil I wouldn't have had the problems. Does anyone know of other ways to avoid these problems with red oak?
The first problem was using a water-based aniline dye, and the dye seeped through the wood pores from the top surface of the board to the underside without my being aware of it until it was too late. The area where it seeped through got a double dose of the aniline and I wasn't able to blend it out. I hadn't previously been aware that red oak pores are like hollow straws, and I learned it the hard way.
The second problem also involved the pores. I used a Watco Danish Oil finish and tiny drops of the oil kept seeping back up out of the pores, no matter how many times I wiped it off. I finally gave up and went to bed and the next morning more drops had surfaced and hardened and couldn't be wiped away.
I assume that if I had filled the pores before using the dye or the oil I wouldn't have had the problems. Does anyone know of other ways to avoid these problems with red oak?