jeffkt2 Posted October 13, 2014 Report Share Posted October 13, 2014 Hi, I just built a walnut coffee table, and I couldn't get away from including sapwood in about 25% the top. Has anyone had experience trying to stain the sapwood to try to get it to match? Is it too much work? I also saw another thread about finishing walnut using poly/oil. Do people just use Arm-R-Seal with no oil base? I generally like the oil finish on other projects I've done since it deepens the color alot. Maybe it's not necessary for walnut... Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted October 13, 2014 Report Share Posted October 13, 2014 I do, I do! Yes on the Arm-R-Seal. I kinda like the sap wood and I doubt seriously that you can stain it to match. Instead, just use the ARS to high lite it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CessnaPilotBarry Posted October 13, 2014 Report Share Posted October 13, 2014 Dye it... Easily done with dyes like Behlen Solar Lux or it's sister Mohawk product, Lockwood Dyes, or thinned TransTint. Practice on prepared scrap. You're not shooting for an exact match, just a "harmonizing" or "less contrast". Walnut sapwood, especially in air dried stock, can look good on certain items, but it's not everyone's taste, and can be a tad crazy in larger pieces. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
estesbubba Posted October 13, 2014 Report Share Posted October 13, 2014 Water based dye works great Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted October 14, 2014 Report Share Posted October 14, 2014 I learned something, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Rozaieski Posted October 14, 2014 Report Share Posted October 14, 2014 The challenge with walnut is that the heartwood lightens with age. So if you dye the sap wood to match the heart wood now, in a few years, the dyed sap wood will be darker than the heart wood after the heart wood lightens. I tend to avoid the situation all together by either cutting away the sap wood or just accepting it as a characteristic of a natural material and not trying to hide it. Anything less than a perfect match tends to look very artificial to me. And a perfect match now won't be a perfect match in a few years. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wouldwurker Posted October 15, 2014 Report Share Posted October 15, 2014 Arm r seal is oil based and pops the holy heck out of grain. I find it to be deeper and darker on walnut than oil rubs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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