Est. 1998 — 27 years of woodworking knowledge
Finishing Question
David Miller from Iowa
>Tried searching the archives, but the information didn't fall into my lap and so I got lazy and thought I would go straight to the source.
I need to stain som red oak stair treads dark brown. Someone said I need to "seal" it first to make the staining even.
Is this right? If so, what do I use - sanding sealer? What is that anyway?
Any suggestions appreciated, including recommendations on the finish coat.
Re: Red Oak Finishing Question
Glenn Madsen near San Francisco
>I wouldn't, but then, that's me.
Red Oak sucks in the stain, and emphasizes the grain patterns, so some folks will use a combination of a dye, which gets one part of the wood to color, and then an oil stain, which gets the other, and evens out the overall coloration. It would be great if you had some scrap as practice pieces.
A sealer keeps stains and dyes out of the open oak grain.
Then coat it with a really good quality waterbased poly floor covering, one that you got from a reputable paint supplier. Pad it on, and see that it gets several coats. You don't really want to redo this project every couple of years.
what I do....
Bill Tindal, E.TN
>I stain oak with oil based pigment stain after sanding to 180. This approach will emphasize the pores. By all means practice on a scrap first to see if you like the result.