transtint question

[Phil Mueller]

Bill, I’ll throw one more idea at you. You can fill and stain and sand at the same time by wet sanding. Flood the piece with dark walnut or black walnut watco, let it soak in for about 30 minutes (keeping it wet) and then wipe it off. About every hour or so check it and wipe it...you will likely notice some of the finish will seep out over the coarse of the next few hours (I usually start this in the morning). Let it dry for a couple of days.

Flood it again and this time wet sand it with 400 grit wet/dry sand paper. It will form a slurry that will fill the pores. Let it sit about 15 minutes, then gently wipe it down. Check every hour or so again and wipe if needed, then let dry a few days.

If you see the pores need more filling, repeat the process.

Let it dry for at least a week, then top coat it.

It’s one of my favorite ways to finish...but it is a long process.

[John K Jordan]

Jeez, I need a book on finishing...

I like Bob Flexner's book Understanding Wood Finishing: How to Select and Apply the Right Finish


There's another book I've been thinking of getting and finally ordered:

The Art of Coloring Wood: A Woodworker’s Guide to Understanding Dyes and Chemicals
by Brian Miller and Marci Crestani

JKJ

[Bill Carey]

I like Bob Flexner's book Understanding Wood Finishing: How to Select and Apply the Right Finish


There's another book I've been thinking of getting and finally ordered:

The Art of Coloring Wood: A Woodworker’s Guide to Understanding Dyes and Chemicals
by Brian Miller and Marci Crestani

JKJ

Thx John - just ordered both. Maybe if I understand finishing better I won't dislike it as much. Or maybe I'll just better understand what I don't enjoy.

[Prashun Patel]

Bill, reading this thread I'm left with the impression that you or the team here thinks you need a complicated regimen to get where you want to be.

Can you show a picture of the kind of color you are after? What kind of sheen?

I am surprised that everyone's jumped into solution mode before asking which minwax stain you are using. You may just be able to use a darker stain or a different brand. The pigment stain is a good choice on walnut for a person who does not like finishing or has access to spray equipment. The reason is that you don't have to apply a seal coat on top. Walnut is very easy to stain, and will get super dark with very little effort; so you don't require all the control that a dye without sealer gives.

I suspect that a Minwax or General stain, then a couple coats of ArmRSeal (better, Waterlox OSF) are going to get you there.

Think HARD about whether you really want to fill it. Filling not only poses slight challenges to the coloring process, it also shows flaws in the top coat. Also, conference tables take even more abuse than a kitchen table. Glossy, super perfect finishes don't degrade as gracefully as satin or lower-build finishes. I have expereince with 2 conference tables at work. One finished to high build (conversion varnish) and a walnut one with a low build waterbased finish. Ironically, the second one looks way better than the first. The open pores of the walnut diffuse light and make imperfections less noticeable.

Last, for future ref, I'd consider buying low priced spray equipment. It really makes this whole process super easy. As long as you stick with 'easy-to-spray' finishes like shellac, and waterbased, it's not complicated nor expensive.

[Bill Carey]

Hi Prashun - believe me, simpler is way better for me when it comes to finishing. I started with minwax dark walnut 2716 and it was not quite dark enough, so had a custom mix made. So here's what will hopefully be my final test regimen, later this afternoon when I'm done working:
Sand to 320
grain fill with Goodfilla walnut
sand to 320
maybe Goodfilla a second time and sand
stain with minwax custom 150% walnut water based stain
perhaps a second coat of stain
lightly knock the grain down with a purple pad
dewaxed blond shellac
5 to 8 coats of minwax wipe on poly.

we'll see what happens

[John TenEyck]

Bill, sanding to 320 grit is part of the reason the stock stain didn't color it as dark as it would have had you stopped at 180 or 220 grit. On woods like walnut there's no reason to sand to a finer grit when using a film finish, especially if you are going to fill the grain anyway.

I'm not suggesting you change your finish schedule now, just letting you know for future reference.

John

[Edwin Santos]

Bill,

If simple is better for you, then here is an idea. Take a drive to the nearest art supply place. Pick out a tube of oil paint in the correct color family and darker than your stain. Then just take the Minwax stain that was not dark enough, and add the paint until you get what you want. I mix the oil paint with a little mineral spirits first just to dissolve it.

When you do this, just make sure you shake or stir the stain frequently because the artist paint pigment has a tendency to settle to the bottom if you leave it sitting for a while.

This solution is both inexpensive and simple. I hope it helps you,

Edwin

P.S. Just noticed that you may have already gone down a different path. If so, maybe this will be helpful for the future.

P.P.S Just noticed that you ordered Flexner's book. I recall he mentions the use of artist colors as a colorant so you can cross reference what I am describing when you get the book. Japan colors are another very good colorant that is compatible with oil based finishes, especially useful where you need color lightfastness due to UV exposure.