I am doing several book shelves for a business. They want oak with a dark red mahogany or deep cherry finish. I tried several stains but did not get the right color. I finally used Bartley “Pennsylvania Cherry” paste stain, diluted with lacquer thinner and put on with a spray gun. Worked OK but was a hassle and the color is close. I was wondering about a lacquer finish with japan tint as a way to get the same results. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
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Replies
A good way to get an attractive, dark finish on oak is to use a dye on the bare wood and then follow it with a stain or glaze. Jeff Jewitt has a couple articles on the process at these two links - Safe & Simple Arts & Crafts Finish - & - Mission Oak Finish.
Use a combination of dye color and stain/glaze color that gives you the look you want. If you add a little of the dye (around 1/2 ounce per quart of finish) and spray that over the sealed stain/glaze, it will add a little color and depth to the finish.
Paul
Vet,
I had a similar challenge trying to give birch a deep antique cherry look. I put trans-tint in shellac and applied coats to the depth of color I needed. If it got to dark I could rub it out.....and then finish up with lacquer...
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