Does anyone know of a method to obtain the very dark (almost black) finish on oak that is currently popular? Are they typically using red or white oak?
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Thanks for your help.
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Steve
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Replies
Over the yrs. I have built a lot of stuff w/ red oak. For me the Watco danish oils have been a good finish. I have used the natural, golden oak, fruitwood and walnut on red oak. The walnut is very dark and might be about what you want. Other may have other ideas
To get really dark you have to use a dye--pigmented stains won't color oak enough. TransTint is good and I also like the lockwood stains.
The dye doesn't always "take" inside the pores. There are two solutions that I know. One is to use ArtiPorin dye available at Highland Hardware. The other is to use a pigmented stain over the dye, either after a wash coat of shellac or just after the dye. Pigmented stain can also be used to bring a little contrast to the grain. If you want to fill the grain to get a really smooth surface you could use a pore filler tinted with pigment to the desired color.
Thanks for the tips. Any suggestions as far as stain color goes?
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