Finishing White Oak

[steve_ma]

I am building a chair with rift sawn white oak and I would like to get some input from those who have experience finishing quartersawn/rift sawn white oak.
I would like to use something to enhance the character of the grain.
I have read about using wood paste to fill in the pores and about "oak dye". I have also read about gel stains, but from what I understand they actually can obscure the grain so thats out.

The project is currently unfinished and sanded to 150. The surface feels smooth but on close inspection, I can see small "pits" that run with the grain. Is this normal? I dont have alot of experience working with oak.

I bought the wood rough 4/4, had is S3S, then preped it with a belt sander 50 grit then 120 grit, then RO sander 150 grit. I dont have a planar :-(
I am wondering if the pits are due to my finishing or if thats characteristic of white oak.....

The look I am after is dark grain/pores to bring out the grain and light stain. I am going to poly on top.

Thanks for your help, Steve

[Joes Junk]

Finishing Q/S White Oak.

Lots of previous posts on this subject. The LOML does all the fininshing. I do all the prep work. If you are going to use a water based stain/dye, you need to wet the wood let it dry and then re-sand. The water raises the grain.

After prep, my wife uses a medium brown dye and lets it dry over night. Followed by a dark walnut stain. Followed by several coats of poly. Try experimenting on your scrap. It comes out looking like the Arts & Crafts furniture of 100 years ago. I can send pictures.

A dangerous alternative is fuming with high strength ammonia.

Also, Several recent articles in the trade rags.

Good Luck

Joe's Junk Raleigh, NC

[David Coleman]

Hi, Steve, it sounds like you and I are in the same boat. I love rift and quartersawn white oak and whenever I get the chance work almost exclusively with it. I've had a lot of luck with dyeing the wood (a color called Moser's light sheraton mahogony red) after sanding to 150, a layer of sealant like boiled linseed oil, followed by a warm brown glaze, and ultimately the topcoat protectant finish. It sounds like a lot of work, but the dye,sealant, glaze layers play differently on the grain and the effect is a deep, lustrous mission style finish that makes the grain of white oak pop.

Good luck and show some pics of the finished project!

[Pappy]

Ammonia!

Set it in a sealed (as near as possible) tent with 29% industrial ammonia.

Right side is fumed, left is stained.