benshea Posted January 24, 2012 Report Share Posted January 24, 2012 I am making a wine rack with old rough boards of white oak, and I don't want to sand it and have a super smooth finish, I want to have a old/rough look to it but I think I need to put some kind of finish on it. what would you guys recomend? And I need to learn more about staining and finishing wood, what videos would help with that? I know this post is kind of lame but I need some help starting out. Thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bombarde16 Posted January 24, 2012 Report Share Posted January 24, 2012 First, you don't have to put a finish on it. There's nothing wrong with leaving it bare, especially if it's a piece that will get handled, bumped into, rubbed, etc. Contact with oily hands, abrasion and exposure to the sun will give it its own patina over the years. But if you want to put something on it, paste wax is about as thin and unobtrusive as a finish gets. As to what to watch, start here. http://thewoodwhisperer.com/oil-based-finish-basics/ http://thewoodwhisperer.com/73-coloring-blotchy-woods/ I wish videos like this had been around years ago because I certainly massacred some of my first pieces. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian VanVreede Posted January 24, 2012 Report Share Posted January 24, 2012 Hey benshea and welcome to the community! How rough is the oak? If you can attach a pic it will probably help allow other members in the community to give you solid advice (no sense in guessing, right). As far as fail safe finishing goes I can tell you what has worked very well for me and I have very little experience when it comes to finishing! I use General Finishes. Arm-R-Seal. You can wipe it on with a clean cotton towel, which really helps in avoiding brush strokes. Not sure if this is what I would recommend in this situation, I would suggest taking a couple of different finishes and do some sample boards. Good finishing videos.... look up Charles Neil! He's been doing finishing for years and he has a lot of free videos. He's pretty straight to the point about everything so he should definitely help! And never be afraid to post something in the forum, everyone is incredibly nice and supportive here in the community! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CessnaPilotBarry Posted January 24, 2012 Report Share Posted January 24, 2012 If you don't want to go the no-finish rotue Rob suggested... A single coat of Watco Danish oil, or Minwax stain can add color to the wood with very little film build and a dead flat finish. Test your chosen color on scrap, as different colors have more than just differing colors to offer. The darker colors, like dark walnut, have pigments that will lodge in the nooks and crannies, natural will slightly warm the wood's color with no pigment at all, the others are somewhere between. Both products are essentially a thin blend of varnish, oil, and mineral spirits, plus dyes and/or pigments. More coats are not better. If you add more coats, the varnish binder will builld, creating shiny spots. On the other hand, white oak turns a beautiful silver if left outdoors, you may like that, too... First rule of finishing... Test ANY material or process you've not personally tried on prepared scrap. Always! Prepared scrap means the same wood as the project, planed, sanded, and/or scraped the same way as the project. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benshea Posted January 26, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2012 Thanks a lot!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian VanVreede Posted January 26, 2012 Report Share Posted January 26, 2012 Let us know how you make out! Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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