finishing red/white oak

[Josko Catipovic]

I've some gorgeous QS red oak planks I'd like to incorporate in a white oak piece. What staining/sealing method should I use to minimize the difference between the two woods and yet bring out the flake? My default is a 'golden oak' oil-based stain followed by a wiping varinish.

[Prashun Patel]

The darker you stain, the less noticeable the difference will be.

However, they are close enough in tone (in my experience) that a golden oak stain or even an oil based topcoat alone will make it hard to spot the difference without doing a double take.

There are many great recipes for doing this; check out Jeff Jewitt. However, I find that a simple, oil-based varnish or oil/varnish blend does very well in this regard.

I like Danish Oil on oak. Easy to apply, and does not build a film (which can require addressing the open pores in order to achieve a smooth surface).

[John TenEyck]

Red oak raised panels, white oak everywhere else. Finished with GF's walnut wiping stain + Arm-R-Seal.

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John

[Stan Calow]

Its a small difference but I prefer Minwax Red Oak stain over the Golden Oak, on oak. But then I hate Golden Oak.

[Art Mann]

In many cases, red oak and white oak are indistinguishable. Unless they look very different to start with, I wouldn't worry to much about it. They will finish out about the same.