Hi Guys,
I am in the process of building this clock from WOOD Magazine plans.
I have never worked with QS White Oak and so I am reaching out for advice.
I sprayed a few coats of lacquer on some test pieces but it still seems like they needs some color.
Maybe Danish oil first then lacquer?
I love the color of the clock in the picture.
Any advice or techniques you are willing to share would be greatly appreciated.
If you want a simple straightforward finish that will add some color and look like what you are going for, check out Mike Pekovich's article on using waterlox followed by dark brown wax. This worked well on some pieces i just did: https://www.finewoodworking.com/2011/05/18/how-to-apply-wiping-varnish
I followed this guide to try to match some Stickley furniture. It's a bit more of a project than slapping one can of something on, but kind of fun to try to match some of the classics. He has "recipes" for several versions.
It really depends on what you like. If you don't like the look of lacquer alone, you may like the look of danish and lacquer or poly better. You might also like the look of a mix of equal parts linseed oil, poly, and mineral spirits. Also, don't overlook the possibility of a dye to give the wood some color before applying the final finish. As you have done already, test anything new on some scrap first.
What kind of look are you trying to achieve? I've seen some stunning pieces finished here. I spent a ton of money on some nicely figured QSWO and then finished it with a water based poly which nearly completely obscured the figure. I may go back and grind it all off and start over.
If you want a simple straightforward finish that will add some color and look like what you are going for, check out Mike Pekovich's article on using waterlox followed by dark brown wax. This worked well on some pieces i just did: https://www.finewoodworking.com/2011/05/18/how-to-apply-wiping-varnish
I have ordered the Waterlox and the tinted wax. Can the Waterlox be applied over a stain?
I have been testing a few sample pieces and I really like Minwax Golden Oak on the QWO but I'm not sure what will happen when the two meet. The Waterlox should be here by Friday so I still have plenty of time before Christmas.
With all the intricate corners and edges you might consider using a wipe on top coat to avoid drips and runs….unless you are equipped to spray it.. Wipe on poly would work, or Madmark's amber shellac also wipes on with a lint free cloth. At warm temperatures the shellac will dry quickly (in minutes) but be careful not to over work it because it can get tacky and messy. If you need more than two coats wait 24 hours for the 3rd coat. Shellac cleans up with household ammonia and water, but I just throw the cloth I use away.
The stain I use to get the color I see in the pict is an oil base Golden Oak….several mfgs make it. Wipe on and wipe off repeat if you don't get the darkness you want
It's too late now, but I'm surprised nobody mentioned fuming it with amonia. (sp?)
It is the traditional stickly finish, I understand. Just bag/tent it with an open dish of strong ammonia and give it some time. Then final finish over that.
It s too late now, but I m surprised nobody mentioned fuming it with amonia. (sp?)
It is the traditional stickly finish, I understand. Just bag/tent it with an open dish of strong ammonia and give it some time. Then final finish over that.
Fuming is actually really easy and in my mind the best benefit (aside from the color) is the finish penetrates the wood deeply so no worries about corners getting rubbed bare.
The prominent issue is your wood all needs to be from the same tree/board since the fuming depends on the woods tannin content. You can alter fuming times for various pieces to try and match up the tones but that comes with experience.
Fuming is a nice alternative for white oak, but certainly you can emulate it with dyes nowadays.
I have done it on various things. Just know there is no one "traditional" finish. There are several, and even those changed over the years. So when someone says finish X is "traditional". That may be true, it may have been used as part of one of the hundreds of traditional finishes. I also replicated the finish in this WWGOA article, and while it was very dark and rich, it was a lot of work, and darker than i personally like in most cases. When i fume now I just coat with garnet shellac now(fuming turns oak greenish). But great article nonetheless: https://www.wwgoa.com/article/an-authentic-arts-and-crafts-finish/
That came out well! If it looks this good in pictures, I can imagine what it looks like in person. I made a tool chest that the rays and flecks don't appear so much in pictures, but look great in person.
The QS 3D effect is because each eye sees a slightly different reflection from the rays and our binocular vision sees the difference as 3D. A camera, with it's single lens, can't see the depth effect.
No need, unless you want to. Waterlox Original tends to be on the glossy side, about a 70 sheen. They say that its sheen lessens over time, but I have test boards from 2017 that are still quite glossy.
Kind of late now but I second the idea of fuming with ammonia. The size of your project would make the setup pretty easy. The beauty of fuming is that it looks natural unlike all those synthetic stains/dyes. The only problem is the color develops faster and gets deeper when it's hot-not a winter project .
Waxing does very little, if anything to alter the color of a surface. It provides a nice silky smooth feel which is nice!
You should use a wax that i colored similar to your project. I use Minwax "special dark" for no other reason than it's easy to find. Plenty of excellent colored waxes out there to choose from.
The reason behind using colored is on porous woods, the wax will build up in the pores and can make the pores adopt the wax color. For example, using plain white paste wax on walnut can turn the bigger pores into whitish dots.
White oak is relatively non-porous, unlike red oak which is very porous.
Anyway, it's a personal choice. I usually do it just for the feel.
So I have another question guys,
If I am happy with the color as it is using the Waterlox, Is there a need to wax it?
- fivecodys
Waxing does very little, if anything to alter the color of a surface. It provides a nice silky smooth feel which is nice!
You should use a wax that i colored similar to your project. I use Minwax "special dark" for no other reason than it s easy to find. Plenty of excellent colored waxes out there to choose from.
The reason behind using colored is on porous woods, the wax will build up in the pores and can make the pores adopt the wax color. For example, using plain white paste wax on walnut can turn the bigger pores into whitish dots.
White oak is relatively non-porous, unlike red oak which is very porous.
Anyway, it s a personal choice. I usually do it just for the feel.
Yup, hit it with a white Scotch-Brite pad and wax, it'll be smooth as a moth's nose.
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