Are there problems combining white oak and red oak when using a dark finish?
I’m making a wedding kneeler out of red oak. There is a central carving of the religious symbol “chi-rho” that has a lot of detail. I am considering using white oak for the carving, as it has much more uniform density than the red. I will be applying a dark chocolate brown finish (TransTint dye and Waterlox Original wiping varnish.) Does anyone have experience mixing the two oaks with a dark finish? I know I can make finish samples but would prefer to avoid that effort if someone else has already experienced this. Thanks!
Replies
It's a different wood, and it will finish differently. Even if you get it looking the same now, it will age differently. Use the same wood throughout.
Always, always make samples when trying something new.
Not an answer to your finishing Q... in the long term I agree with JC2 but doubt anyonw would notice or care if the parts drifted visually slightly over time. Plus, the lighting in churches is pretty theatrical and your finish is pretty dark.
Does your design allow for the carving to be an inset panel? Maybe you can show off the diff instead of trying to hide it.
The carved piece is 5/8" thick, and applied to the front of an apron board beneath the rail. I have actually considered making it of hard maple, but am not sure if that would work well, as there are other carvings that need to be out of red oak.
I live in rural Tennessee, and for many years bought my oak at local saw mills, where there was generally no distinguishing red from white. It was just oak. I suspect that most of it was red, but no way to tell now.
Here is a photo of a drawing of what I will be carving, and a photo of the same design in very smaller scale carved in hard maple:
I've used red oak pieces to make replacement parts for repairs on old white oak furniture. With a heavy stain & topcoat, no you can't tell. I think its more a case of the difference in grain between individual pieces.
No one wil even think to ask if it is applied. Go for it.
Looks like the central white oak is symmetrical to the overall piece. Even if it were different, it would look just fine and possibly planned.
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