Replies

1. 
   hotdogman | Feb 13, 2023 11:43am | #1

   I have fumed several oak pieces and used various finishes based on final use of the piece. Whatever you use it is best to be consistent throughout. If the table top is going to have much use I would recommend either Polyurethane or Waterlox which will be tough enough and not show water or alcohol stains. If you don't expect things like drinks to be placed on it Shellac is a good option with a good paste wax coat. In either case the fuming should provide a beautiful deep chestnut brown with some green in tint. The piece will look gray and a bit green after fuming but will have a beautiful look after applying a finish. Of course is depends on how much tannin is in the oak and weather the wood you used is consistant. I used Janitorial Ammonia available from ACE hardware. It works just fine and won't hurt you either. It just takes a little longer for the final result.

1. 
   jpe52 | Feb 13, 2023 01:06pm | #2

   I've done more or less what hotdogman recommends and agree with his
   comments.

2. 
   _mj_ | Feb 13, 2023 04:41pm | #3

   The green tint IS a thing. An entirely waterborn finish with no color added will have a slightly sick look to it. A base coat of an amber shellac kills the tint and adds depth to the brown.

1. 
   mschlack | Feb 13, 2023 04:58pm | #5

   Sounds like a plan. Also, I like using shellac as a base coat since it's something of a filler.

3. 
   user-1118538293 | Feb 13, 2023 04:41pm | #4

   Last time I fumed some test samples for a piece made from 2 different boards they ended up looking nothing alike and I went a different direction.
   Will also differ slightly with hotdogman--I also used janitorial ammonia and I accidentally got a face-full of the stuff. No permanent harm done as far as I can tell, but I would say that full precautions are still very much called for. I was running my test outdoors in the warm season and thought I was up-wind, but getting a blast of the stuff was pretty alarming.

4. 
   hotdogman | Feb 13, 2023 05:53pm | #6

   I have never used a water based finish on fumed White Oak so I have not witnessed the outcome. That said the suggestion to use an amber shellac base I think is a good one. The green tint of the fuming will always be there. If you really look at a fumed piece you will see it under the darkness so of speak. Shellac or oil based finishes will help mask the green tint and water based finishes will not. They are good to use where you don't want any color change at all. Good luck with your project and with fuming.

1. 
   jpe52 | Feb 13, 2023 11:08pm | #7

   If it helps, see attached photo. Fumed using janitorial ammonia, about 24 hours. Then wash coat of garnet shellac, 1# cut. Sanded 600 grit. Then 4 coats of waterlox original. Finally, rubbed out with 0000 steel wool, followed by dark brown paste wax.

   
1. 
   mschlack | Feb 14, 2023 11:26am | #9

   Nice! I might try a little lighter shellac -- hoping to stay on the lighter side of brown.

5. 
   rjlii | Feb 14, 2023 06:04am | #8

   Here's another take on the Stickley #603 Taboret. 12 hours with industrial strength ammonia. 24 hours to air out. Two coats of Watco Danish Oil (natural). Topcoat of Garnet Shellac. Johnson's Paste Wax. As a point of comparison, the Stickley Morris Chair at left is factory finished in Onondaga (https://www.stickley.com/products/32).

   The Japanese toolbox received the exact same finish treatment, revealing how the tannin content in the wood makes a huge difference.

   
1. 
   mschlack | Feb 14, 2023 11:28am | #10

   That's just about what I'm aiming for, thanks.

1. 
   rjlii | Feb 14, 2023 05:43pm | #11

   Just make sure you keep scraps of the actual lumber used in the project for testing fume times. The tannin content drives the depth of color. Fume without testing first and it's like Forest Gump's box of chocolates. "You never know what you're going to get". Sometimes that's half the fun.