Any tips for finishing quarter sawn white oak?

[bholland]

Hello all,

 

I finally squared all of my boards and started to test finishes. One thing I found quite quickly was that plane finishing really didn't work well. Maybe it my blade (which was damn sharp) but it took off chunks of wood and couldn't follow the grain. I also think it got stuck on the flecking. Is this common or did I do something wrong? Sandpaper will work and I did a 120 and 220 and then used compressed air to get out much of the dust. Any other tips on how to get the sawdust out? 

 

Next was the actual finish. I went with a 100% tung oil thinned 50%. It gave the oak a beautiful deep brown and the flecking was awesome. I am going to finish it off with amber shellac. Should I try sanding with the tung oil wet? I read that might be an option I guess to fill in the pores? Also, can I get even better flecking at home? I read something about an ammonia treatment or something with lacquer but I can't do either in my basement. Would a very light dye make the flecking pop even more and what colors should I look for?

How do you get the flecking to really burst in its glory? 

[Ronn W]

You have encountered a common problem with QS Oak.  :You are luck that your tear out was small, they could have been much worse.  The only chance you have using plane is a very steep blade angle - like 60 Degrees.  Even better would be a cabinet scraper.   I find that sand paper is safest.

You don't say what the project is.  If it is a table top that will be subject to abuse I would use  about 3 coats of ARM -R-SEAL ( a wiping varnish).  Shellac will not stand up to abuse, water or alcohol.  IF you do use a wiping varnish make sure the you give the oil plenty of time to cure - a couple of weeks and, even then, test it first.

I don't think that sanding the tung oil wet will do much to fill the grain on the heavy grain that oak has.

Regarding the flecking.  I used a yellow dye on my dinette table followed by a gel stain ( I used georgia red).  Looks good.  Other colors of dye will creat different effects.  Experiment.  

[RichardA]

With scraps!

[wtnhighlander]

Applying a dye, then lightly sanding remove the dye on the exposed ray fleck with increase the contrast.

If you want to achieve a smooth surface, consider using a grain filler. Something like Aquacoat will fill the open pores without obscuring the grain features. Aside from that, some Arm-R-Seal or other wipe-on poly is an excellent choice for a durable finishe that won't stink up you whole house.

My surface treatment for oak is:

1. Sand to at least 180.

2. Pore fill as desired (optional)

3. Sand to 220.

4. Stain or dye (optional).

5. Raise grain & sand again.

6. Apply wipe-on poly. I use a folded cotton T shirt rag, moistened with mineral spirits. I do coats 1 and 2 with a circular motion to push the finish into any pores. Allow to dry until no longer tacky, sand lightly with 400. Coat 3 and above, keep the rag wet with spirits, use less poly. Wipe in long strokes, with the grain. Sand with 400 and repeat to the desired build. By the third coat, you should be able to sand in about 6 hours.