Staining Oak and Danish Oil

[Jarviser]

I plan to finish a newly constructed american white oak dining table to match existing "Tudor Oak" furniture. I don't like heavily coloured varnishes, and I want most of the colour to be stain.
In the past I have got a good colour from:
1. a base stain of Bichromate
2. Then when dry, Vandyke crystals heavily doped with ammonia.
To finish I want to use stained Rustins Danish Oil to help deepen the colour.
:?: Has anyone used Liberon Concentrated Spirit Dye in Danish Oil? They recommend Rustins oil based stain, but I am worried this will dilute the oil too much.
:?: Any better ideas for a deep dark brown stain?
:?: Should I put on a couple of rubbers of Garnet Shellac as a sealer before the Danish Oil?

 

[Chris Knight]

Jarviser,

Spirit dyes are formulated with alcohol (although I saw a post from Terry referring to Colron spirit dye that he says is based on white spirit - which is an oil). Alcohol and danish oil won't mix very well and so the resulting color may be patchy and not strong enough for you. As an aside, spirit dyes are also usually more fugitive than water based dyes.

I like to fume oak with ammonia if it has to be dark - gives you a good colour for further darkening with a stain, if need be, although depending on the wood, you can get a very dark colour sometimes just by the fuming - usually darker with European oak than American in my experience.

I wouldn't use shellac as an intermediate coat before oiling if all that has gone before is water based or spirit based.

 

[Jarviser]

Thanks Chris. (Thank goodness the Forum is back online!)
Re the fuming, it's a dining table and the top's too big to fume without building a bigger tent than I have room for and I can't easily get 880 amonia. The household ammonia I add to the Van Dyke usually darkens and fixes the stain on oak quite well. Some early pioneers painted the ammonia straight onto the wood I believe. It certainly clears your head!
Maybe if I stir in the conc spirit dye into the Danish Oil in a dish and let the alcohol evaporate it may mix better - worth a try on some scrap.

 

[superunknown]

I work for a furniture makers and we make reproduction 'tudor oak' furniture.

We put the furniture through various processes to get the aged effect in the polishing process. (after distressing when its made)

It goes in a caustic tank (or sprayed with caustic depending on the size of the piece) and then when dry it get highlights/lowlights 'blacked and bleached'. Then it washed over with an acetic acid to neutralize the caustic.
Some sealing for more highlights and then stained.

Its a lot of work but the finish is stunning and the depth of the colour is really amazing.

www.tudor-oak.co.uk

 

[Philly]

Some lovely stuff there, Nola. And as you say, a great "aged" finish!
Cheers
Philly

 

[Jarviser]

It goes in a caustic tank (or sprayed with caustic depending on the size of the piece)

I have seen the Salvager (UK Home & Leisure) spraying various woods to give an aged look and provide a key before waxing. He uses about 1 teaspoon caustic soda pellets per litre of water. It's something else I can try on some scrap before the staining.