I have been building walnut furniture and cutting around the sapwood and now I have walnut with a high % of sapwood. I am planning another project and would like to use some of the sapwood.
I would appreciate suggestions as to how one can use stain/dye to even out the contrast.
Replies
I've that you need to use a dye instead of stain because if you don't the pigment from the stain will settle in the pores. Thats all I know about it, hope it helps some.
-Ryan
I've had more success using a combination of dye and stain than either one or the other. I use the dye to even out the color, just before final sanding, as much as I can without going too far. Dye can be hard to "undo." After the dye, I use water based, I sand because the grain has been raised by the dye, 220, then 320. Then a wash coat of shellac to protect the dye and seal it in. I use one pound cut of super blonde for the wash coats, usually three. I sand between each with 320 so I don't blow through the dye or the shellac. Then I put on a glaze stain to even the color even more. Finally, the top coat, whichever the client prefers. The shellac fills some of the open grain in walnut, as does the glaze, so you end up with a very smooth finish.
I did test a piece, scrap of walnut that had heart and sap, using dye, light sanding, then medium walnut Watco, then natural Watco. I liked the look, the pores are open and it looks more like it was only finished with oil. I haven't had the chance to do a full piece that way.
COOLBREEE.
get your wife's steam iron and steam it.. block walnut will respond to steam und turn brown just like the rest of the wood.
ps several letters stopped working replace o with the first letter of the alphabet.
Hmmm,,.... creotive use of spell check worked except for the word und
You may need a new keyboard, Frenchy. I had a problem with mine allowing me to put a period at the end of a sentence. Just installed a cordless Logitech mouse and keyboard. Except for the mouse being a little fast, I really like it.
I have just built a case for a 270 gallon saltwater aquarium. I managed to work around the sapwood for the most part. You would'nt suggest I try to steam it laid up, are you? Also, for those pieces stickered, would the overall moisture content be affected and if so for how long?
coolbreeze,
That's exactly the trouble, I'm on my new keyboard and all the mistakes are mine!
5th keyboard this year. I'm a hunt a peck ( my daughter calls it hammer and bash) kinda guy and I'm not really carefull when it comes to water etc..
Yeh! Steam will still work! judgement is called for regarding glue though. Most glue will take some steam before failure, however failure means that you reglue it..
I don't know how much steam is needed. Once the sapwood is brown I'm done
Frenchy is correct, steam will work, however, it can make the color of walnut less attractive, at least IMO. So, if you use steam you can use orange or garnet shellac to bring the color back. I buy walnut sometimes from a mill that steams all the walnut in the processing. I've noticed that when I use it the garnet shellac brings the color back to where it appears more normal.
BilWil,
Steam just turns it all brown,. You lose all the magenta's, reds, and greens etc,,
I don't like it but few have my pallet for wood colors. <G>
For most projects I don't even attempt to blend the color. I feel that the contrast, or rather compliment, of the colors adds to the design. It most definitely gives it that custom look as opposed to off the floor items.
Ken
Just some sawdust for thought, but I was never good at matching sapwood so recently I sort of collect it and use it when the appearance of it dose not matter or hurt, like for back of cabinets, sides, other out if the way places. I sometimes like the color changes.
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