Pre conditioner

[RR60]

Never really used it much. But do have a couple of cans of minwax pre condition that I had for awhile I can use.

Anyway staining a red oak cabinet on this project.  Have not decided which one. Best doing a test sample with Zar and General finish stain I had on hand. But are oil wipe on stains. Not gel.

Each color I would like to lighten it a little and like that the condition hides the grain a little. Open grain part is more of the same color instead of darker without it.

Any cons on red oak?  Chance of puddling in corners and blotchy.

 

Thanks for any suggestions

[wtnhighlander]

My advise is to avoid staining red oak if possible. If you MUST use red oak, and MUST color it, use a grain filler, followed by a clear seal coat, followed by a tinted clear finish. IMO, pigment stains applied directly to tge raw wood look extremely 'rustic'.

My second choice is to use a grain filler with dye to enhance the appearance of the grain pores. I use plaster of paris, blended with water and a black liquid dye, to form a medium paste and squeegee it onto the surface. Let it dry, then level the excess with a card scraper, followed by fine sanding. The dye darkens the wood a bit, as well as making the open grain black. Top it with poly, and it looks pretty nice, not as 'dirty' as pigment stains do.

The traditional way to fill grain with PoP is to dampen a folded rag, dip it in the powder, and work it into the surface (wax on, wax off). This might work with a powder dye, if you can blend it thoroughly.

[Steve B Anderson]

My experience with red oak was quite frustrating. I did apply minwax sealer to help with blotching and it did work. The problem I had with red oak is every coating  I applied (sealer, stain etc) would bleed out of the pores for an hour or more, had to constantly wipe it down until the bleeding stopped. If I had to do it again I think I would follow the advice @wtnhighlander gives above and use some combination with a grain filler.

[wdwerker]

Red oak is good for flooring, especially in 40 ft trailers ! White oak on the other hand can be quite special.....

[Steve B Anderson]

+1 on the white oak, especially quarter sawn

[wdwerker]

General Finishes makes an extender for their stains. It allows you to cut the intensity of the color. Then multiple coats lets you build up to the color you want.  

[Steve B Anderson]

On my current project (Mission night stand) I am using transTint dye for the first time. It’s a little messy mixing it up with water but I really like the results on my samples. Sand to 150, apply the dye, seal with 1 coat of 2 lb cut shallac, 1 coat gel stain and 2 coats ARS satin.

[AceHoleInOne]

On 1/19/2018 at 11:08 PM, Steve B Anderson said:

My experience with red oak was quite frustrating. I did apply minwax sealer to help with blotching and it did work. The problem I had with red oak is every coating  I applied (sealer, stain etc) would bleed out of the pores for an hour or more, had to constantly wipe it down until the bleeding stopped. If I had to do it again I think I would follow the advice @wtnhighlander gives above and use some combination with a grain filler.

I've had excellent results using a sealer to help slow the take-up of stain from the deep grain in oaks. I like to use the sealer on oaks just for that purpose. Gives the grain a nice light look, not so heavy and dark looking.   

 

-Ace-

[RR60]

On 1/19/2018 at 11:12 PM, wdwerker said:

Red oak is good for flooring, especially in 40 ft trailers ! White oak on the other hand can be quite special.....

I know just the box store and couple lumber yards close by and that is the best I can do.

Hard on a large project since often you need a little more wood.  1 1/2 hours round trip to a real lumber yard takes all the fun out of it.  And dont mind over buying but have limited space for more storage. Maybe one day I get that 4 car garage without the cars.

Ended up with Transfast water based dye followed by Zar oil stain.  On my test pre conditioner did not make any differnce with the ZAR. And very happy with not seeing so much grain.

On my test the ZAR did better than the GF oil gel or regular oil stain.

As  always still appreciate all the advice.

[gee-dub]

9 hours ago, RR60 said:

1 1/2 hours round trip to a real lumber yard takes all the fun out of it.

If it helps take the sting out of it, my preferred yard is 2-1/2 hours round trip.  I have discovered that unused space in relatives garages makes good lumber storage space.  I lull them into a passive state with a cutting board or a picture frame.  Then a few weeks later I ask about standing "a little bit of wood" vertically "over there" in your garage . . .  

[wdwerker]

I would love to see your results ! Please post pictures !