If wood needed stain it wouldn't come in so many colors?

 

When my choice is stain versus no-stain, I always (always) go without the stain.

 

Old Douglas fir is my favorite wood to work with! Its beautiful. I like to finish with arm r seal. It does add an amber color that I am a big fan of on fir.

 

Douglas fir naturally darkens over time. I think it looks like cinnamon sticks.
There is one treatment to help it along but you rely have to have a good pre sealer treatment or you'll end up with splotches.
The generals finish pecan oil based.
I 100% agree with others natural is best. A clear finish with a little bit of amber would look good I think.
Good Luck

 

When you say "a little bit of amber" I don't know what you mean? I've only used storebought stains, as-is. What products should I use to do a clear, and "add a little amber" ? Sorry for my ignorance…

 

I wanted to include some photos. I apologize that I'm struggling with the format of this message board… Lol I'll figure it out, eventually!

 

Oil based finishes typically have an amber caste to them once applied to lighter colored woods. It's the oil in the formula Linseed oil formulas aren't as dark as those with tung oil, and there used to be soya oil formulas (I think they've all been discontinued) that are lighter than linseed oil. It would be worth trying a dab of some kind of varnish on a scrap piece of your wood with no stain to see how you like it. After all, it how it looks to you that matters most.

 

I really appreciate the information and opinions. Thanks to everyone who has commented. I am definitely leaning towards doing a fine sanding and going with a natural finish. I feel like this grain doesn't need color. I have a product that I imagine most people have used at some point called Polycrylic from Minwax. I have only used it once on a previous project, but I was very happy with the ease of application, and the water-based clean-up, and obviously the result. (It's what I used on the Whiskey Cabinet I posted about). I am gonna follow advice and do some testing on a scrap to see what looks best. It's definitely good to know that I might expect to see some color shift after the fact depending on what I use. I didn't think about that. Thanks again to all the experts helping a rookie! I will follow up on my progress…

 

i have used polycrylic before. it is definitely one of the least yellowing poly that i have ever used. show some pics when done!

 

ill add my vote for no stain,i rarely use em,i wanna see the real natural wood color.i use oil finishes 95% of the time.general finishes are excellent.

 

That grain is like a natural maze. I wouldn't color it. A nice oil based finish like Arm r Seal will give it a poly protection, and add just the right amount of yellowing. Easy to apply you can apply with a cloth, brush, or spray it on.

Follow their instructions for an almost too easy, perfect finish. One of the primary reasons I like General Finishes so much is the huge amount of reliable information they provide. They cover all phases of the weather, temp, RH. How to properly prep the surface, apply the product, and dry time, plus what to do between coats. Hard to mess up if you follow the bouncing ball.

https://thewoodsmithstore.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Instructions-General-Finishes-Arm-R-Seal.pdf

On the link below, scroll down for the real info.

https://generalfinishes.com/wood-finishes-retail/oil-based-topcoats/arm-r-seal-oil-based-topcoat

 

I hate minwax stains and finishes. I do use their paste wax the poly acrylic clear finish is probably the softest finish you can find.
Generals finish is very good getting harder to find in my area.
Good Luck

 

Minwax makes a semi a transparent oil stain their Natural 209. I have used it on applications similar to what you are describing. But, like they say on TV, your results may vary. And always try it some scrap first.

 

NO STAIN

 

I did some searching about the Arm R Seal, and it seems to only be available in a satin finish? Am I just not seeing a gloss option or do they only make it in satin? So far, I'm leaning towards the Polycrylic gloss from Minwax. I suppose durability is a consideration (it was mentioned that Polycrylic may not be as hard or durable as others), it is not a huge concern on this cabinet. It's most likely going to be used for a spice cabinet or some other fashion that probably won't see a high level of wear and tear. I really appreciate everyone's advice!

 

I did some searching about the Arm R Seal, and it seems to only be available in a satin finish? Am I just not seeing a gloss option or do they only make it in satin? So far, I m leaning towards the Polycrylic gloss from Minwax. I suppose durability is a consideration (it was mentioned that Polycrylic may not be as hard or durable as others), it is not a huge concern on this cabinet. It s most likely going to be used for a spice cabinet or some other fashion that probably won t see a high level of wear and tear. I really appreciate everyone s advice!

- woodrookiepatriot

no, Arm-r-seal comes in at least satin, semi-gloss, and gloss that I am aware of. and actually gloss is the easiest to use.

 

yeah i use the the satin and semi gloss.not a fan of minwax products.

 

Color of the finished piece belongs to the maker and whoever they need to please, not us. I dont use stain, but most pieces get a a little or a lot of color with dyes. I have plenty of projects posted on here to see the work.

I strongly recommend against any wb finish, at least on its own. If you are not familiar with the term chatoyance, look it up. WB finishes have none, solvent finishes do. To really make the grain of that wood stand out you need a solvent finish - poly, lacquer, shellac. For a low use item, I recommend a wipe on poly type finish. Read my blog entries on finishing here to give you some ideas. Very simple and easy processes to do.

 

I'm with the "no-stain" crowd, but I wanted to add a comment. If you're looking for a satin final finish and want to use something like a wipe-on poly or similar, be aware that the "satin" version of those finishing products can play havoc with the wood grain on your final product. All "satin" oil finishes have a component suspended in the formula that kills the shine. In most of them the component is tiny, microscopic silicon platelets. With repeated applications of satin finish, the platelets, or whatever gloss killer they use, builds up and obscures the grain. The effect is a "muddying" of the grain, so you don't get the nice crisp grain display you're looking for. The remedy for this problem is easy. Use "gloss" finish for the first few coats and apply the "satin" coast at the end. One coat of "satin" will kill the gloss of the underlying coats of "gloss" finish without muddying the grain.

 

It's clear that the consensus is no stain. To get a satin finish wiith Fir, I would put a wipe coat of shellac to seal any sap (after a moist sand). Then I would use some sort of wipe on varnish, several thin coats to get a smooth clear surface. I make my own wipe on, equal parts of tung oil, boiled linseed, gloss varnish of some type, and mineral spirits. Finish off with a wipe down (after enough time for the finish to harden, say a week or more) with a mixture of mineral oil and mineral spirits using very fine steel wool.

 

Aesthetic opinions aside, Douglas Fir doesn't absorb stain the way, say, oak does.

I've used grey Varethane stain on it, but it's pretty transparent - a great look, but possibly not what you're thinking of.

Also, gel stain works well, because it stays on the surface. If you use black gel stain it will turn dark brown - also a nice effect, also probably not what you have in mind when you use black gel stain.

 

Grey (later covered with oil-modified polyurethane):

 

Black gel stain on the leg assemblies (hard to see, but you can compare it to the black spray paint above it):