I’m making a candlestand and I’m using mahogany for the first time.
I wonder which kind of finish I’ll put on it. I like the result polymerized tung oil make on cherry. Is poly tung oil is ok for mahogany?
The legs of my table were not cut from the lumber from which I made the the top. The color is slighly different, and I even suspect that it is not the same species of wood. The grain and density looks alike, but the darker one is much easier to carve, the lighter one tend to split. If I stain it, what stain should I use to get uniform color? Should I use pore filler?
Thank you!
Replies
Tung oil is fine for mahogany. To match color, use the underside or scrap of both pieces,staining from light to dark until you reach the desired effect. I prefer oil stains- more compatible with an oil topcoat like tung oil.
Pore filler works fine if you're after a high gloss finish;mahogany shows open pores without it.For a satin finish, the choice is yours.
You can fill the pores by wet sanding (with 220 or 320 grit) with Tung oil. Wipe on the oil, sand to make an oil/wood dust slurry that gets packed into the pores, let sit 20 minutes, and wipe off with a motion bias to the grain. 1-2x wet sandings is all you should need.
For more information, get a copy of Jeff Jewitt's book on Finishing published by Taunton ($40).
Good luck,
Paul
I have been experimenting with a similar technique with red oak. I have been sanding a rubbing polyurethane to fill the pores on a desktop. So far, it is looking pretty good.
Dick Durbin
My favorite finish for a mahogany piece that does not feature any inlays, is to first dye the piece yellow, with any brand of aniline water dye. After the dye has dried, apply a coat of Tried and True Danish oil tinted with Trans Tint dyes. I use the cordovan with a touch of green or golden brown, to kill the natural red of mahogany . This will help to even out the color differences, but you could also add more oil to dilute the color for the already darker areas. This method will result in a very nice color ( with golden undertones) that will age very well. As with all finishing, a sample is essential to avoid surprises, but even more so with the tinted oil, because I know of no way to substantially alter the color once you've applied it. You could substitute an aniline water dye for the tinted oil, but I've found the tinted oil produces a superior color.
Except for carved areas, I fill the grain on every surface of pieces made of mahogany. While a little messy, grain filling is worth the effort. I'm not familiar enough with polymerized tung oil to offer an opinion. I use shellac or padding lacquer for all surfaces other than tops, which get varnish for durability.
Mahogany displays a wide range of densities. I just finished a piece where the stock for the legs was similar to celery, in that it was very stringy, and difficult to carve, and the pieces for the sides were quite hard and planed like a dream.
Rob Millard
Why dont you fill the grain in carved areas?
I don't fill the grain in carved areas, because it is important they remain crisp. The filler would lodge in the details ruining the effect. Trying to remove the filler from these areas would almost certainly remove it from the pores, defeating the purpose. Since carved areas reflect light differently than flat surfaces, the filler not important to achieving a proper finish.
Rob Millard
I never used to fill grain, I think I will try it.
Thank you
Marc-André
Rob,
My experience with using filler is that it makes the finish less than clear. I've also had the pigment in filler bleach out after a time making the pores lighter than the surrounding wood. Have you encountered these problems?
Regards,
Ray
I've not had the bleaching problem, but my woodworking life does not extend as far back as yours, I filled my first piece in early 1999. I go with very dark filler, so that may be the reason ( I hope).
As for the reduced clarity, I noticed it when I first used the filler and applied it to the raw wood. Now that I use the filler over a thin coat of shellac or cured oil, I see no loss of clarity. I also read that wiping with the grain using a piece of cheese cloth will remove that last little bit of haze. I do this after the filler has set for a half hour. Without that step, the inlays that are part of nearly all my work, could show the filler as a muddy layer. I think, even if I did see a loss of clarity, it would outweigh the open pore look, which I find distracting, but I couldn't live with muddied inlays.
Rob Millard
Rob,
Well I never tried the cheesecloth thing. Considered a light buffing with 0000steel wool before the next coat went on, but figured it'd pull too much out of the pores. I just recently had to use some filler on a set of chairs that I was matching to an old finish. The old chair was muddy looking too, so the filler worked out all right. It gave a nice flat surface for sure.
Thanks,
Ray
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled