Hi folks!
I’m making a Greg Paolini-designed sideboard that appeared in FWW some years ago. I’m making it out of white oak, some quartersawn.
I’m making it as a wedding present. My niece asked for something darker than plain oak. I really hate staining pieces and only like using shellac, Waterlox, and Tried & True Danish Oil. These won’t darken the wood very much. I know there are agate and garnet shellacs but I’ve never used them and have no idea of what these would look like on white oak.
Any suggestions for an easy finish that will give a slightly darker appearance?
Replies
On White Oak I use one of the Watco Danish Oils as a toner/stain. There are various colors available. I like the Walnut Watco which comes in several grades of color so you have a choice of how dark you want to go. Another toner I like is General oil stain "Pecan". It gives a really nice warm look to White Oak and is not too dark. Once either is applied to my liking I use two wash coats of Shellac as a sealer. After that you can use the top coat of your choice.
I’ve added dark mission brown or black Transtint to Watco to darken finishes. You might be able to get the same results with Waterlox (not sure if they are the same). Start with a 1:5 ratio and work from there. Also look at other Transtint colors as there might be better color options.
To the best of my knowledge, Transtint is made to be used with water or alcohol, not oil. There is an additive that allows it to be used with oil. Transtint dye works very well diluted in shellac.
I have used Transtint diluted in water on white oak and it works very well. I like to use water because the alcohol dries too quickly and it can result in streaks. With water dilution, you can apply it and spread it around to blend it. I like to apply a light coat of shellac SealCoat to "lock" it in place before applying my final finish.
You are correct - mixing it with shellac would be a better option.
It's not easy, and it's not a finish, but ammonia fuming works great and gives a nice even tone to white oak that is controlled by the clock. Longer soak gives deeper color. I build a tent framed with 1x2s out of poly sheeting outside on the deck. A taped slit lets me grab out sample blocks at timed intervals to check the color.
Swim goggles and an ammonia mask are a MUST. Put it someplace to off-gas for a couple of days and then add whatever topcoat you like. The ammonia sometimes adds a slightly cool tone, so a mildly amber finish works well.
I have ammonia fumed a number of pieces using 5% janitorial ammonia available at Ace Hardware. It works well and just takes a little longer to react with the oak tannins. The results of fuming oak can be quite beautiful. A word of caution however, if you can't use oak from the same tree you can end up with a lot of variation in the fuming results. Since each tree and parts of the tree will have different amounts of tannin that difference will effect the outcome. You can tone the lighter portions after the fact.
I am also For fuming white oak. At first it does seem complicated but when you think about it, there is no stain to apply and wipe and it is uniform, goes everywhere evenly and with a few coats of shellac really enhances the grain and fleck of white oak.
I like Odie's Dark on white oak, especially quartersawn. Will darken it, but not a lot. Nice feel, some modest protective value, and very easy to use too.
If you can post a picture of this sideboard, please do. If its the one I'm thinking of, it is a very nice gift. Congratulations to your relative.
Fuming white oak with ammonia is worth the extra effort (compared to stain or dye. Some good comments about it in previous replies. Fine woodworking has covered the subject and several of their articles are here:
https://www.finewoodworking.com/1997/10/01/fuming-with-ammonia
https://www.finewoodworking.com/project-guides/finishing/the-best-ammonia-for-fuming-white-oak
https://www.finewoodworking.com/project-guides/finishing/fuming-wood-with-ammonia
Thanks for all the comments!
I think fuming is the "best" solution, but beyond my bandwidth. Just the idea of acquiring all the stuff necessary is too much. I like the recommendation of Odie's as a simple solution.
I find the idea of transtint intriguing depending on what I put it in. Does anybody know if it can be used with Tried & True Danish Oil? That's my favorite finish and easy too.
I've only used transtint once and liked the results. I ended up with two colors and mixed them in different ratios to get the look I wanted. As always, test on scrap pieces before applying to your project. Transtint insturctions are attached.
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You need a special additive in order to use Transtint with oil.
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the hard wax oil's (Osmo, Fidde's, et. al) area good option too. I like them on oak, them come in a number of different tints, are easy to apply, and feel great.
I've fumed white oak a few times; it's easy and nicely controllable. For the
pieces I've made I just put a dish of janitorial strength ammonia (Ace Hdw) and the entire dry fitted piece in a large plastic bag (transparent helps) and
a couple of samples. I usually go 24 hrs, but frankly I see little change after about 8 hours. Two pics are attached, one showing set up and the other the
final piece. For this item, I added a wash coat of garnet shellac after fuming and then 4 coats of Waterlox followed by rub out and brown wax.
You can use TransTint with an oil finish like Tried and True, but not putting the dye in the oil. I use it with Waterlox, and really prefer it to an oil based stain, esp. on oak. I prefer mixing it in alcohol, as it raises the grain much less than water. It does dry faster, but I mix it a bit light and use 2 coats, which evens out any streakiness. Be warned: the color when it dries may have little similarity to the color with the topcoat! It is important to complete the finish schedule before deciding if it is right; there may be a difference even after the first top coat and after the second.
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