Making Red Oak Look Like Ash?

[Harry Muscle]

Anyone know if it's possible to make red oak look like ash? I know making ash look like red oak is fairly easy but I'm trying to go the other way. Hoping to make a piece out of ash but parts of it require plywood and it seems ash plywood is very hard to find unlike the wood itself. So I was thinking of getting red oak plywood instead since it has similar grain but I would need to make it look like ash color wise too. I also looked into ash veneer but it's more expensive that 3/4" red oak plywood so it's not really a economical option.

Thanks,
Harry

[Jim Becker]

A real sheet goods supplier should be able to provide you with ash plywood to match your solid stock. If you were needing to use red oak (or white oak, for that matter) solid stock, you might be able to bleach it, but that's going to be a tough row to hoe. Now if you will be adding color to your project, you "may" be able to experiment and get similar color between ash and oak components, but if you're looking for clear finish without dye/stain, I suspect you're not going to get what you want. This is all about color; grain pattern will at least be similar.

[John TenEyck]

If you have the ability to saw your own veneer you're home free. Even if it's only 4 or 5" wide you can layup any size panel needed on mdf or plywood using Unibond 800 with a top caul and sandbags, etc for weight. Unibond 800 and epoxy do not need much pressure to obtain a good bond.

John