Staining walnut question....

Re: Staining walnut question....

Tony - Memphis

One trick I learned is to use Van Dyke crystals. I had the same issue with a lowboy I built. I brushed the stain on the lighter parts carefully and working with the grain. I used wipe on poly as my top coat. After many many years, the color still looks good. I wondered what would happen as the walnut lightens, but I haven't seen any issues yet (maybe beyond my lifetime!?!). I think the Van Dyke crystals are made from walnut shells? I don't know that there is any magic to them. I think the fundamental here is staining to match, so any dye type stain would probably work. Seems like one of the finishing gurus has written on the subject in one of their books or a ww rag?

Tony

This is right after I finished it...no tan wood!

Re: Staining walnut question....

John in NM

Bill Tindall has a pretty thorough routine worked out using burnt umber (I think) artist oil paint. You may be able to search his posts and come up with it.

This is the same concept as a gel stain - finely ground mineral pigment (which is lightfast) in a non-penetrating carrier to better control application. I've yet to find a commercial stain with a realistic color, so I like the idea of using artist oils and mixing if need be.

The Van Dyke's sounds like a good option though, I've never tried that. I did also find a bag of potassium dichromate in my mom's garage of all places. I think my dad had some spot assaying use for that stuff, but given the risks I may never mess with it in woodworking. The perfect finish color just isn't worth that much to me!

Mine isn't so much sap wood as....

Barry Irby

evening out the color variations of wood that came from different trees. The posts I have are a fabulous dark chocolate brown of really old air dried walnut and the rest fo the bed has various tones of red to purple. I had to put the lumber stretcher on my stash and use everything. Ordinarily I would pick and choose and try to work with wood that came from the same tree or at least grew in the same soil.

I know Bill and others say walnut fades, and it does, so I thought I might kill two birds with one stone and even out the color and protect it from fading.

I wasn't thinking of sapwood....

John in NM

but perhaps that is the textbook use for Van Dykes?

The whole point to Bill's routine is to either prevent fading or keep it from being too noticeable - that's what the big advantage to a mineral pigment is, it keeps its color even after years of sun exposure. I think most dyes fade just like the wood does.

What I would do is try to match lighter color to the darker color using pigment stains, either gel or artist oil. Might require mixing two different stains to stain both the darker wood and the lighter and still have them match.

Normally...

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

a few hours in the sun and all but steamed walnut assumes a similar color. Even steamed walnut will become the same with a few months of sunshine. The reds and purples go quick, hours.

Re: Normally...

Hank Knight

Bill, if I recall correctly, your walnut staining process uses raw umber artist's oil paint rather than burnt umber. You use the premixed oil paint that comes in a tube on a saturated rubbing pad rather than the dry mineral pigment. Is that correct? Do you find that the raw umber satisfactorily evens out the color differences in various boards? I'm using walnut lumber from two different sources. Some of it has lots of reds, blues and purples that you find in air dried lumber. The other is much more evenly brown and a lighter tone. I'm hoping I can even out the color using raw umber oil paint with a rubbing pad. Would appreciate your comments. Ellis has published a regimen that starts with a yellow dye to kill the blues and purples. I would like to avoid that step if possible.

Re: Normally...

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

Sunlight will even out walnut color. Whether stain will or not must be determined by experimentation. This concern is something I have never worried about.

" your walnut staining process uses raw umber artist's oil paint" no, burnt umber.

"You use the premixed oil paint that comes in a tube on a saturated rubbing pad rather than the dry mineral pigment. Is that correct?".....Artist pigment dispersed in General Finishes stain stuff that doesn't have pigment in it. I have described it all numerous times previously. about 15 -20% pigment, 80% solvent, depending on depth of color desired. Pad on to control depth of color.

Do you find that the raw[burnt] umber satisfactorily evens out the color differences in various boards? I don't know. I'm satisfied with the result.

"I'm using walnut lumber from two different sources. Some of it has lots of reds, blues and purples that you find in air dried lumber." you find these colors in any unsteamed walnut lumber that has not see a bright sunny day. If you are mixing steamed and unsteamed it may take a year in a sunny room to even out color, or never in a dark room.

I am not enthused about adding yellow to walnut. It will head in a yellow direction with light exposure.

I have burnt umber from 3 sources. It ranges from redish brown to yellowish brown. I prefer the redish which with age goes to a yellowish brown on the wood.

Always do chemistry experiments on test pieces.

Thanks, Bill.

Re: Normally...Thanks Bill

Barry Irby

I couldn't get SEARCH to work.

Dispersion solvent

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

I disperse the pigment in General Finishes "Wood Conditioner". I was told by a GF chemist this solvent is what is used to disperse their mineral pigment stains. In any case works for me. I suspect it is solvent and a whiff of varnish.