I am nearing completion on a new entertainment center made of red oak. I am thinking more about how to finish it. In the past I typically pick out a oil based stain and cover it with polyurethane. I have grown to dislike polyurethane because of the plastic look it has. But, I feel the shelves of my E.C. will need a tough finish to withstand the wear and tear caused by the electronic quipment that will be placed ont them.
For oak, do I need to use a pre-stain conditioner to help even out the color? Is there another finish I can use that is simple to apply? Maybe a oil finish for the bulk of the e.c. and poly on the top surface of the shelves? I have decided against using a filler on the deep grain of the oak.
Jeff
Replies
If you can spray, many new options are there, such as lacquer, which as finishes go, is about as easy as they come. If you happen to like the poly, however, simply cutting it down with mineral spirits will go a long ways towards negating that "plastic" look, which tends to be even more evident in such open grained woods as oak. It will lay flatter and thinner. A good alkyd based varnish would also be a very durable finish, if you have somewhere to finish it that can be kept dust free for 24 hrs.
" We knew the world would not be the same. A few people laughed, a few people cried. Most people were silent. I remembered the line from the Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad Gita . . . "I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds." I suppose we all thought that, one way or another." - J. Robert Oppenheimer
Jeff,
I just finished two red oak pieces with two different finishes. I was trying to achieve a subtle sheen...maybe even a hand rubed look. The first piece was Waterlox, 6 coats, hand rubed on. I first applied a water based stain which I made up. I believe the Waterlox removed some of the stain..which was a good thing because when I used that stain batch with poly it came out with a purple hue (ugh!). Anyhow, the piece turned out great...looks like its been around 20 years ...kinda country and relaxed
The second piece I applied watco with golden oak..two coats...followed the directions. Waited a week and applied two coats of wax. It came out very nice..but does not have as much of the subtle sheen (little more dull) that I was looking for. Kinda looks like a nice stained piece with sections a little more shiny than others...all from the same oak board.
Not trying to sell either solution, just thought it fit your situation and thought you'd like to know one persons experience. Good Luck
I have been using Bartley gel stain with good results on red oak. It's easy to apply and has a very consistent result.
Another step I have been taking is to use a trowel on filler before staining, the kind I use is Zar and is intended for hardwood floors. I thin it out a little with water and trowel it on the major surfaces, let it dry overnight and sand it down with 120 grit before staining, I find that the by not going finer than 120, the stain gets more purchase in the wood. The filler really does a nice job filling in the pores which give a super finish when stained. Before I topcoating, I sand down to 220 or better.
But, I feel the shelves of my E.C. will need a tough finish to withstand the wear and tear caused by the electronic quipment that will be placed ont them.
Dude, turn that subwoofer down, get some vibration isolation pads or buy some decent equipment so that you don't have to take it to the shop so often that you're gonna wear out your shelves:)
I pretty much have coverted to and swear by Enduropoly and stains. No compatability problems. Just raise the grain and sand with 220 twice before staining. In their product guide they say you can flatten raised grain with a block of wood and brown paper, that's BS as far as I'm concerned. Poly needn't look like plastic. Shoot it light and/or sand it back. They sell a slightly tinted 'overprint' version to counter the non-fat milk blue tone but I just use 1 -2 teaspoons of their undiluted stain per gallon of finish. My buddy that switched me over to Enduropoly just did a job with their Endurolac and he liked it a lot. One hitch tough, this stuff hates linseed oil. When I really want to pop the figure I'll still use the oil but I wait a full month and shoot a barrier coat of dewaxed shellac before topcoating with the poly.
John O'Connell - JKO Handcrafted Woodworking
Life is tough. It's tougher if you're stupid - John Wayne
I like to mix Minwax Golden Oak with boiled linseed oil (available at Home Depot). The linseed oil tones down the stain and allows the amber patina of aged oak to develop faster. I've also found Minwax Spar varnish to give a nicer golden color. Use High gloss it is clearer. If you don't like the gloss finish rub it with pumice stone or 0000 steel wool and apply a paste wax for a nice satin finish. I like Briwax but there are lots of good ones. I've found the Minwax pastewax too hard to buff out. If you have an orbital sander the "Surbuff" pads work great compared to wool pad for sanders for buffing.
Roger
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled