Faux Fumed Oak..Suggestions?

NOTRIX1 | Posted in Finishing on January 5, 2003 08:20am

Hi,
I bet thie has been discussed ad infinitum but there’s always something new about. I’m in the process of creating a few pieces of “mission style” furniture. QS white oak primarily for now. The first piece, a bed, will be built in 2 stages about 3 months apart. With this consideration I’m leaning towards using dyes. I’ve used them in the past wih results ranging from spectacular to dingy. I read a recent FWW article Aug 2002 #157 that has a combination of dyes being used and I theoretically like this approach.
Has anyone tried it?
I was at a local Rockler yeseterday and they only had water based dyes. The article suggests a combination of water dyes with oil pigment stains and I didn’t notice much of an assortment of these.

Any good on-line resources for finishes? I’m betting they’re expensive due to shipping of hazardous mat’ls charges but I want to get enough to be able to reproduce the finish rather consistantly.

Thanks,

Replies

forestgirl | Jan 06, 2003 07:55am | #1
If I remember right, Jeff Jewitt has a method for this finish. Try his site, maybe post a query in the forum.

forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
davamoore | Jan 06, 2003 04:41pm | #2
N, Jamie (forest girl) is correct: Here's a direct connection to Jeff Jewitt's Mission Oak finishing instructions:

http://www.homesteadfinishing.com/mission_oak.htm

I've followed this method, with one or two minor variations, a couple of times and have been very satisfied. I used the products he mentions/sells, and found them -- and the customer service -- to be first-rate. I've also passed this link on to several people and have yet to hear any negative feedback from their tries.

David

Look, I made a hat -- Where there never was a hat!
johnhardy | Jan 06, 2003 10:28pm | #3
Woodworker's Supply carries Moser aniline dyes. I've used the "dark fumed oak" dye very successfully on quarter sawn white oak. I used the version that is to be mixed with oil, but they also have the dye for water and for alcohol. I'm not sure if all colors are available in all styles. The dye comes as a powder which is mixed before use.

John
Paul_Snyder | Jan 07, 2003 06:19am | #4
Sherwin Williams has some very good dye concentrates. Some on-line and mail-order sources include;

Wood Finishing Supplies

Homestead

Wood Finish Supply

Mohawk Finishing

For a pretty simple mission finish, I like to dye the wood, seal it, use a wiping stain as a glaze, then apply the clear coats. Either the "Jacobean" stain from Minwax or the "Gilsonite" stain from Sherwin Williams are good choices.

Here's a qtr sawn white oak sample - both were finished the same, except the left side was sealed before applying the wiping stain.

View Image

Paul

F'burg, VA
LarryPile | Jan 07, 2003 07:35am | #5
Hi,

Take a look in the Gallery section of this forum...Arts & Crafts Dresser.

The schedule, "stolen" from Jeff Jewitt is as follows..and is my favorite by far:

Vintage Maple Transtint water-based dye - apply after wiping on distilled water and sanding with 220

Allow 24 hours of drying and apply 2 coats of Garnet Shellac - as a sealer and to get a reddish tone......

Allow 24 hours and apply Bartley's Dark Mahogany gel stain. Wipe on, then wipe back off...purely as a dark pore-filler for quartersawn White Oak.

Allow 24 hours and apply 2-3 coats of Blonde shellac

Allow to dry, sanding between coats, and then apply 3 coats of "Old Masters" gloss polyurethane, allow to dry a week, and then use steel wool and wax to buff to a semi-gloss finish.

Good luck! E-mail me at [email protected] if you have questions or want to see more examples...I've got other pieces I've used this on. It is rich without being too dark, highlights the ray fleck and just looks sweet!