Miserable Walnut

[Saint Simon]

I have some rather grey looking walnut that I want to use for some Christmas presents. But its not very exciting to look at. Is there anything I can do to bring out the grain and to improve the colour?
Help please.
Simon

 

[marcros]

try something on some offcuts, but typically oil tends to liven it up a bit and bring out the grain. If you do not have anything, I would recommend that you buy some tru-oil. A little goes a long way, so dont buy the 32oz pot.

If you dont have anything, you could wipe on a bit of cooking oil onto an offcut, which will give you an idea of what the finished item will look like, although dont use this on the final item.

 

[CHJ]

I would suggest wiping it over with walnut spirit stain to enhance the colour, something I do occasionally to bring lighter sap wood inline with main body.

 

[mrpercysnodgrass]

You could also use Van Dyke stain which is made from Walnut husks!

 

[Graham Orm]

I've always found that if a wood is drab and you do manage to lift it a little it reverts back to drab over time.

 

[Sgian Dubh]

Others have mentioned using Van Dyke dye, aka walnut dye, and this works well, but the result can sometimes be a little visually cold. To warm up the end result you could try adding a little red and yellow to the mix. When I do this the red usually forms less than 20% of the whole, and yellow in the region of 5 - 15%.

I can't say I've noticed Grayorm's observation of 'drabness' reappearing over time, but it is true to say that all woods change colour when exposed to UV light and become oxidised due to oxygen exposure (over extended time periods when polished), even woods that have been either dyed or, alternatively, stained. For example, antique or old furniture with much marquetry that would have been vibrantly coloured when first made, because of multiple wood choices and colouring techniques, lose these striking colour differences over decades or centuries. Mostly, all the different woods and original colours, whether natural or dyed/stained, move towards a mid-brown. Slainte.

 

[bugbear]

... it is true to say that all woods change colour when exposed to UV light and become oxidised due to oxygen exposure (over extended time periods when polished), even woods that have been either dyed or, alternatively, stained. For example, antique or old furniture with much marquetry that would have been vibrantly coloured when first made, because of multiple wood choices and colouring techniques, lose these striking colour differences over decades or centuries. Mostly, all the different woods and original colours, whether natural or dyed/stained, move towards a mid-brown. Slainte.

Here's a famous example;

http://secretlivesofobjects.blogspot.co ... earch.html
http://secretlivesofobjects.blogspot.co ... dales.html

Oh rubbish - there's some kind of "forwarding" magic on those pages.

Hit "stop" or "escape" when they've more-or-less loaded.

BugBear