Best Finish for a Unique Piece of Birch

[Dan McCallum]

I am using this piece of birch for a Nakashima inspired table. I need some suggestions on how to finish it.

You can see from the first picture that the wood is quite pale, as to be expected with birch. There are a lot of character features though, including knot and insect holes, bark inclusions, burl, spalting, mineral staining, and some wavy grain areas.

The second photo shows it after rubbing down with a water dampened rag. The wood has a real orange tinge to it which I like, and the features really become a lot more visible.

I'd like to finish it to something even a bit darker than this, but without losing any of the clarity or features. I worry about birch's famous tendency to blotch when finished, especially in the wavy area along the top left.

In my finishing cupboard I have shellac, Tried and True, tung oil, and Hydracote. I'd prefer to stick to these maybe with some dye or stain. There are also some smaller cracks that I will need to fill, I was planning to use hide glue.

So what do people thing is the best way forward?

Thanks, Dan

[Dan McCallum]

I might also mention that this is a slab of Silver Birch, which is quite hard and heavy as birches go. It is also very tightly grained.

Dan

[Joe Chritz]

Shellac will allow you to tint the color to just about anywhere you want. You may have to order up some flakes in the color you want. Dye's will help with blotching or put on a light coat of dewaxed shellac then stain if needed.

There really isn't a "best" way. It depends entirely on what you are trying to accomplish. If you want it clear with minimal change then go with a waterbase acrylic. More orange go with a orange shellac, etc.

Joe

ETA: Nice looking piece by the way.

[Jim Becker]

If your Tried and True is the original formula without the bee's wax, start with that...a thin application; let it sit; wipe it off. The next day, seal with the shellac. You can use a darker shellac to add more tone if you prefer, but I recommend you stick with de-waxed shellac for maximum flexiblity for your top coats.

I typically top coat similar projects with sprayed water borne acrylic; usually Target Coatings USL, but their Hybrivar water borne alkyd varnish might also be a good choice for this project as it will add a little more warmth. The Hydracoate would give you similar results I believe. If you don't want to use water borne, a wipe on oil-based finish, such as Waterlox would be nice (8-12 coats) or if you want to minimize color changes, choose a soya oil based product like Pratt and Lambert #38 and mix your own wipe-on by making a 50/50 ratio of the varnish with mineral spirits.

[Dan McCallum]

Thanks guys for the suggestions, I appreciate it.

On the Tried & True, I don't think I have any beeswax in mine. I checked the label and all the fine print, there is no reference to beeswax being in it. It is called 'Polymerized Linseed Oil & Natural Resin Varnish'.

I usually pad on my shellac in thin coats, I have found sanding up to 3000 grit helps give a super smooth finish. Should I still do this if I will put on a coat of the T&T first?

In any case, I'll test first on the underside of the table!

Dan

[Jim Becker]

Dan, the T&T product you have is the varnish oil, not the linseed oil only product. It's the one formula from T&T that I just plain don't like...very inconsistent results for me. Just get some garden-variety of BLO from the 'borg to use as your first step. Wipe it on. Let it sit for a bit. Wipe it off. Apply your shellac the next day and go on from there. It will look the same...