tomk Posted July 14, 2015 Report Share Posted July 14, 2015 Shellac may help slow down the oxidation, but it doesn't do anything to protect against UV, which is the real color killer. Padauk needs to be finished with a UV inhibitor or kept out of sunlight. I have a magazine rack in our hall bathroom made of padauk and birdseye and it's still vibrant after about four years, finished with only ARS...but there is exactly zero sunlight that reaches it. I don't abide by old wives'[ tales... This table with a solid padauk top is now four years old and going strong. I think the shellac and arm-r-seal worked fine. Maybe if I had left it outside in the Mojave desert for four years, it would be brown by now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tim0625 Posted July 14, 2015 Report Share Posted July 14, 2015 So Tom....your table is still beautiful and your finish combination is obviously great but how much sunlight - direct or indirect does it get? You mentioned the 'old wives tales' - do you not believe that light affects padauk? I've always heard that it's the light/UV and I've worked with padauk but do not really know. Is it a fact that padauk needs light to cause the browning or is it just a natural effect of the wood? Is it what Eric said "oxidation"?. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phinds Posted July 14, 2015 Report Share Posted July 14, 2015 So Tom....your table is still beautiful and your finish combination is obviously great but how much sunlight - direct or indirect does it get? You mentioned the 'old wives tales' - do you not believe that light affects padauk? I've always heard that it's the light/UV and I've worked with padauk but do not really know. Is it a fact that padauk needs light to cause the browning or is it just a natural effect of the wood? Is it what Eric said "oxidation"?. It's the sunlight, not oxidization. I assume Tom's "old wives tale" comment is based on a single instance and lack of experience. I've seen plenty of padauk age to brown due to sunlight and you can see pics on my site. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted July 14, 2015 Report Share Posted July 14, 2015 I don't abide by old wives'[ tales... This table with a solid padauk top is now four years old and going strong. I think the shellac and arm-r-seal worked fine. Maybe if I had left it outside in the Mojave desert for four years, it would be brown by now. TomK003.jpg It's not a wives' tale, it's reality. Why do you think antique cherry and mahogany pieces are always deep, dark red? A lot of that furniture was finished with shellac...it doesn't stop color change whether you believe it or not. Give your table some time...if it's exposed to sunlight it WILL change, sooner or later. And you don't have to be in the Mojave desert...you can get sunburned on a cloudy day. You can't stop color change with crossed fingers...it's inevitable unless it's kept out of sunlight. Only a matter of how long. Nice job on that table though...it'll look good even when it's brown. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tim0625 Posted July 14, 2015 Report Share Posted July 14, 2015 So what is available to finish it with the has UV protectors in it? Would a finish with UV protectors slow down the change? Obviously, finishing is not my strong suit so all this helps. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phinds Posted July 14, 2015 Report Share Posted July 14, 2015 So what is available to finish it with the has UV protectors in it? Would a finish with UV protectors slow down the change? Obviously, finishing is not my strong suit so all this helps. Thanks Polyurethane with a UV blocker will slow the color change but nothing will stop it in the long run except putting the wood in a room where there is no direct or indirect sunlight. With padauk it's best to use a couple of light coats of DE-WAXED shellac as a base coat before putting on the poly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tim0625 Posted July 14, 2015 Report Share Posted July 14, 2015 Good info guys...thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacque Harran Posted May 6, 2020 Report Share Posted May 6, 2020 Padauk is an open grain wood. I don't think you can do anything about these cracks. It is THE wood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phinds Posted May 9, 2020 Report Share Posted May 9, 2020 On 5/6/2020 at 4:37 PM, Jacque Harran said: Padauk is an open grain wood. I don't think you can do anything about these cracks. It is THE wood. Since this thread is 5 years old, he either knows that by now or has lost interest in the wood or both Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark J Posted May 9, 2020 Report Share Posted May 9, 2020 But hey, welcome to the forum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gee-dub Posted May 9, 2020 Report Share Posted May 9, 2020 Yes, welcome ;-) We get resurrected threads here now and again; all forums do. Some are still as valuable as when originally posted due to content. Some more specific ones are more time sensitive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phinds Posted May 9, 2020 Report Share Posted May 9, 2020 @gee-dub I like your avatar. Enjoyed the series Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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