need a direction to make this table look decent

[digiraven]

I want to pick someone's brain here that has experience in dyes, stains, shellac, and finishes. The table below has an issue that needs to be corrected. I've wet it down to show a little more detail that shows the blotchiness. I would like the edge to match or closely match the top of the table. Far as I know this is a walnut. What direction would you take? One suggestion I did follow is a unwaxed shellac with denatured alcohol 50/50, sand 220, 75/25, sand 220, then 100%.  Well that did not turn out well. Removed the shellac and willing to try a dye stain first but the color. How or what should I use to match closely the color that is shown below? Thank you

[Tpt life]

That is a two species top, that likely had a tinted top coat on it originally. Can you say what you did not like about the shellac? Was it blotchy? If so, two options come to mind. One, it is super thin and might take more coats to even out. Two, if you sanded at all, you are getting glue through the veneer layer. 

[Chestnut]

I'm having a hard time at seeing the blotching. The included pictures shows typical walnut with an oil based finish applied. Is the blotching only on the edges or on the top? Are you applying the dye to just the edges or everything? The edges look like they are going to have some end grain showing and that is going to color drastically different from face grain.

Trying to match a different species to walnut may be difficult and the best bet is to apply a dye to the edge pieces to get close and then dye the entire piece. This is likely going to require spray equipment to achieve best results. Don't continue further on the actual piece and continue practice on test pieces. Try and identify the species for the edge and pair it with some walnut and figure out the best option. What works for the wood i have may not work with the wood you have.

What is the expectation for the finished product? Are expectations high? It's likely that taking the piece to a finishing professional with a good spray setup can save a lot of headache. It's goign to cost money but that outcome is better than ruining a cherished table.

Be careful with any additional sanding as the top is veneer and you can easily sand through. There is no fixing that short of replacing the entire table top... which is basically the entire table.

 

[digiraven]

Maybe not blotching is not the correct word but as you can see after wetting the table, there are darker and lighter areas. I am thinking maybe a solar bleach has happened to this table at one time or the other. There is no finish on the table anymore. Its just wet to see the highlights. I did try unwaxed shellac but all it did it enhance the unevenness of the color. Maybe that is the character of the table. I don't know. Stick with that look or do something different? As for the edging the table, I would like that to blend or darken it. I am not sure what direction to go with that. Either a dye or a stain. 

I was watching a youtube channel where they wanted to even out the color of wood. They applied a dye, then unwaxed shellac, a dark wipe on stain, and finally a finish. Curious on your opinions on this method and curious if you think a dye would be ideal, what color or strength of the color should I go with. I was thinking mixing a brown with a bit of orange. After the shellac I would apply some old masters dark walnut. Your thoughts?

This is completely diy. I know a spray from a professional would be ideal but this is something I would like to do myself as I am learning all the methods. Unfortunately I picked a complicated piece of furniture and wanted varying thoughts on color and finishes. I'm not looking for a show room piece. Just something 'hey that looks great, not perfect but great' Thank you

[digiraven]

If I were to not stain the top, if any of you can give me an idea on how to deal the edge. It seems to be a softer wood. I probably like to go darker than the top. Since the top has a redish hue to brown, how should I go about the edge for the color?

[Chestnut]

I don't see any uneven color on the top i see what is typical for walnut. Wood is a natural material and exhibits a lot of color variation even from one end of a board to another. If exact even color is desired there are man made products that will fit that function far better. Trying to bully wood into something it isn't is difficult. I have tried some of those home brew methods for changing the color of wood and the best way (the only way in my opinion) is to spray dye.

If you accept the top and just want to address the edge I'd apply finish to the top and then dye/stain the edge. If you have a piece of the edging that isn't visible I'd try some colors there to figure out what will work best. I'm not sure what brands or stores you have available to you, but I've used special walnut from minxwax and it does ok. There is also general finishes water based dyes that are good. Hopefully the store you visit has example pieces to give you an idea of the color. Don't test on the actual edge unless you are somewhat confidant you'll like the color. Plan ahead if you want blotch control.

Shellac is a difficult finish to master and isn't durable at all. If you are planing on using this table at all I'd consider a harder wearing finish like a wiping poly ( wipe on poly, Arm R seal, etc.) There are a lot more finishes out there but many are expensive, difficult to obtain, or both expensive and difficult to obtain.

[digiraven]

Thank you for the reply. A Rockler store is near by and many options are available for me to get. The dewaxed shellac was used as a base sealer. I will finish it off with general finishes enduro. Before I  finish the piece I want to color the edge. Just not sure of a color choice. I am thinking the edge maybe white oak or ash.  I bought some general finishes dye, brown, red, and orange. Will try to do a mixer to get the right color.