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View Full Version : Finishing Oak - getting wrong color



Brian Dormer
03-27-2007, 4:06 PM
I want to use some Red Oak in a project - and would like it to come out looking something like this:

http://www.packardforestproducts.com/wood_redoak_thumb.jpg

I put a coat of "natural" WATCO on a scrap (figuring that wouldn't darken the wood too much) - and it's more "walnut" that the "golden oak" color.

What's the secret finish to keep red oak from going so dark?

Al Willits
03-27-2007, 4:12 PM
Try thinning the Watco with turpentine, say 50/50..it seemed to make the white oak I have less dark.
Probably hallucinating though.

Al

jeremy levine
03-27-2007, 4:18 PM
I want to use some Red Oak in a project - and would like it to come out looking something like this:

http://www.packardforestproducts.com/wood_redoak_thumb.jpg

I put a coat of "natural" WATCO on a scrap (figuring that wouldn't darken the wood too much) - and it's more "walnut" that the "golden oak" color.

What's the secret finish to keep red oak from going so dark?

Is it just me or isn't red oak darker then that to start with ?

Jim Becker
03-27-2007, 4:52 PM
Try just a coat of de-waxed blond shellac. (Seal-Coat will do) The oak will come out about that color...do remember that any oil-based varnish will further amber it.

John Mihich
03-27-2007, 5:57 PM
Minwax golden oak will get that color. To minimize the affect of the finish then use lacquer or clear shellaq. OR use blonde shellaq in the first place.

Brian Dormer
03-27-2007, 6:17 PM
Is it just me or isn't red oak darker then that to start with ? Starting out, the stock I have is the color of sand, light tan, khaki - something like that. I was shocked when the "Natural" finish changed it so dramatically. I have Oak furniture (not built by me) that is that "golden" color.

Brian Dormer
03-27-2007, 6:19 PM
Minwax golden oak will get that color. To minimize the affect of the finish then use lacquer or clear shellaq. OR use blonde shellaq in the first place. I've never used lacquer or shellaq (but I'm willing to try) - would wipe-on poly work?

Steve Schoene
03-27-2007, 10:02 PM
Wipe on poly will have about the same darkening effect. I suspect much of what you are seeing comes from the basic wetting of the wood fibers. (You can check this by wetting down your sample with clear naptha or mineral spirits. You can get closest to this with the ultra blonde shellac, or with a clear waterborne acrylic finish. Of course, what ever you chose will be only temporary since the wood will gradually darken over time.

If you want lighter than that, you could use a two part bleach to remove the color from the wood, or you could "pickle" it by using a white stain.

John Mihich
03-30-2007, 2:22 AM
If you are into wood working for the long haul then I would suggest buying a few different cans of stain; those real small ones and also some different types of finishes. You can then create all sorts of samples. I have a whole cabinet full of stains and finishes I use when I want to match a color. It's an outlay of $$ but a payoff in the long run.

When I make something for my wife I hand her a 1/2 dozen samples (stained and finish applied) for her to pick from. It saves a whole bunch of headaches later.

Matt Meiser
03-30-2007, 7:54 AM
On this monitor, that looks to me about like what I've gotten just using wipe-on poly over oak.

Nancy Laird
03-30-2007, 8:53 AM
Just about every piece of furniture in our house, plus my kitchen cabinets, is built of red oak, and we use J.E. Moser natural just to pop the grain, and it all turns out just about the color I can see on the monitor. That's red oak for you--it turns quite reddish when you put any kind of finish on it. Some of your pieces won't turn quite that red - difference between heartwood and sapwood, but that's the nature of red oak.

Nancy

Jim Becker
03-30-2007, 9:27 AM
I have a whole cabinet full of stains and finishes I use when I want to match a color. It's an outlay of $$ but a payoff in the long run.

John, just be aware that finishing products have a shelf-life...especially those in open cans. Stuff you use frequently is nice to have on hand, but for all the rest a combination of your samples and the recipe to duplicate them later on may be a better choice financially.

Byron Trantham
04-01-2007, 9:02 AM
John, just be aware that finishing products have a shelf-life...especially those in open cans. Stuff you use frequently is nice to have on hand, but for all the rest a combination of your samples and the recipe to duplicate them later on may be a better choice financially.

Jim is right but you can extend the shelf life by using a product called Bloxogen. It's an inert gas that isolates the air from the material. I have been using it for years and it works. Also, I write the pruchase date on every can I buy.

glenn bradley
04-04-2007, 6:17 PM
I live in SoCal and we use a lot of red oak. I haven't seen any that was that blonde but that could just be out here. Looks like white oak with an amber finish. Some of the red oak I work with gets very light but there is always a red / dirty brown tint to it.

Stephen Clem
04-05-2007, 9:05 AM
I just built a cradle out of Red Oak. I have been experimenting with different stains on scrap pieces for a while now, so I thought I'd throw in my results. I tried a few different colors of Miniwax and Olympic Stains, and liked the Minwax Golden Oak color the best. Then I read a piece by David J. Marks about General Finishes Seal-A-Cell + Arm-R-Seal at this address: http://www.djmarks.com/stories/faq/what_is_the_mix_ratio_for_the_linseed_oil_tung_oil _and_urethane_46687.asp

Apparently he has been using this when he wants the natural looks since the 1980s. Figuring he knows and has tried much more than me, I ordered some up from woodcraft. The result are excellent. It is very easy to use as well. Just start with 1 coat of Seal-A-Cell, then 3 coats of Arm-R-Seal GLOSS, sanding with 0000 steel wool between coats, then finish with a final coat of Arm-R-Seal in the sheen you want. I like satin for oak. (You always want to build up the coat with gloss, then one final coat of the satin/semi-gloss sheen of your choice or else you'll get a muddy finish- I learned...:( ). I prefer using a foam brush for applying this stuff. The Gloss goes on smooth and feels like glass after lightly rubbing with the steel wool. Good luck!

Nick Clayton
04-09-2007, 6:59 AM
Hi Brian,

I thought I send you a picture of some different finishes I applied to a red oak door sample. The lighting is natural from the south. Moving from left to right:
62078
1 - Bleached, 3 coats of sealer (simply bullseye dewaxed shellac, 2lb cut) & 3 coats of clear Hybrivar from Target Coatings.

2 - Bleached, 3 coats of Hybrivar thinned 20% & 3 coats of Hybrivar.

3 - 3 coats of Hybrivar thinned 20% & 3 coats of Hybrivar.

4 - 3 coats of sealer (again dewaxed shellac, 2lb cut) & 3 coats of Hybrivar.

I have to give Jim Becker a nod for recommending the Hybrivar.