My current project is in alder, and the planned finish is a dark red stain followed by shellac. This afternoon I sanded a test piece to 180 grit and applied a wiping stain. The result was severe blotching.
I know the typical cure for blotching is to apply a conditioner or shellac washcoat before staining, but I sense that while this might even out the stain color, it would also prevent the wood from reaching the desired darkness.
Any ideas on how to get alder to a nice even dark red color? In many respects alder seems to mimic cherry, so a solution suitable for cherry might work. Thanks.
Replies
SLOSapo ,
On Cherry I have used a toner , before the staining . This evenly darkened the wood more then the stain only did . Depending on the type of toner you use the grain can become raised , so check it out first .
Depending on the nature of the project a Gel stain may produce the desired effects as well .
good luck dusty
SL,
Try gel stains. I use them on maple which is prone to blotching with very good results. If you are trying to mimic cherry, you may need 2 coats to get the intensity you desire. I use general brand and bartley brand, both are excellent products.
Lee
An even dark color can be achieved with glaze. First spray on a background NGR stain color. This will brighten the background and not splotch. Next seal the wood with a "Wash Coat" (a thinned down finish) and then glaze. Sealing the wood evens out the amount of color it will absorb. How strong you make the glaze will determine the amount of darkness. For information on the process go to:
http://furniturerepair.net/Pdoor/door01jpg.htm
Steve Nearman
Fredericksburg, VA
The Master's Touch
Furniture Restoration Service
Quality restorations and repairs for over 35
years!
(540) 371-5566
http://FurnitureRepair.net/
Edited 1/13/2007 6:04 pm ET by uncleSteve
Thanks for the suggestions, everyone. I'm off to pick up some supplies and start experimenting. I'm glad there's no rush to get this project done!
I finished an alder piece to look like medium-dark walnut, achieved with a shellac washcoat, gel stain, and poly for the final finish. No problems with it taking the dark stain.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
I've been experimenting with several products and techniques. The best procedure for me seems to be an unwaxed shellac washcoat, followed by two coats of wiping stain and then several coats of toner made from clear shellac with a dye stain added. Looks very promising. Again, thanks for the info.
Glad to hear it's going well. When it doesn't (with these blotchy woods) it's a true nightmare!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled