Replies

1. 
   Frank_H._Biscardi | Nov 05, 1999 05:59am | #1

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   I would not over do the darkening. Mahogany darkens in light. If you overstain it now it will look good for about ten or twenty years and then it will darken under the finish turns muddy brown and you will loose all the pretty hilights. Granted it is probably a little too "pumpkin" after being freshly sanded.

   My formula for mahoghany:

   1)Sand to 320
   2)Coat with Minwax wood conditioner ( basically a 1lbs cut of shellac)- this prevents over staining
   3) Wait one hour and wipe off the conditioner
   4) Wipe on a thin coat of Minwax Mahoghany stain
   5) I normally wait 4-5 hours and use a tung oil finish- probably not optimal for a butcher block

   This leaves an ititially reddish looking piece that warms down after a year or two.I think it will get browner over the years. My oldest piece is nine years old and looks better every year.

   Frank