Black Oak Finish? (1 Viewer)

[kevin_u]

I'm working on a center speaker that I would like to finish in black oak. I'll apply a oak veneer to the MDF box. Any suggestions on how to paint or stain the veneer black? And top-coat with a satin finish?

Thanks,
Kevin

 

[Mark Brewer]

Use a good quality Ebony colored stain. You will have to use more than one coat. I feel that this would be preferable than paint. You can get the deep dark look you want, but keep the rich grain patterns of oak.

 

[DaveDel]

I just finished a set of speakers and covered them in black oak veneer. My suggestion would be to use a aniline dye. There a little on the expensive side, but they give you a great looking finsh and won't hide the grain. Since your using veneer I'd suggest you go with the alcohol based version (also comes in water based) so you don't have to worry about delaminating the veneer. Once your done staining you can topcoat it with a polyurethane finish.

 

[kevin_u]

Thanks for the replies.

What brand dye do you guys like?

Kevin

 

[Hank Frankenberg]

I dyed the oak bases for Danny Richie's Alpha LS speakers with TransTint black dye. It's Woodcraft p/n 128490:
http://shop.woodcraft.com/Woodcraft/...35382C3F0772C7
It's $16.99 for a small 2 ounce bottle, but it is very concentrated. Worked perfectly for me.

 

[kevin_u]

Hank,

did you mix the dye with water or alcohol?

What did you use for a topcoat?

Thanks,
Kevin

 

[Darren_T]

Just a caution. If you used contact adhesive to adhere the veneer don't use the alcohol based dye. It will delaminate. If you used glue then the alcohol base is preferable.

Darren

 

[Hank Frankenberg]

Kevin, I used water. It of course raised the grain a bit, but that's the least of problems working with oak - just sand it lightly. I used a water-based polyurethane that Fine Woodworking rated as the best water-based in a test. It brushes on really well. It's General Finishes HD stuff, and it has a UV inhibitor in it. I used it because Danny didn't want the Padauk veneer that I used on his Alpha LS towers to darken much over time, so in case they caught any direct sunlight through a window, I used the high-priced version.
The GF polys, both regular and the HP with the UV inhibitor, are Woodcraft stock #'s 85T55 through 85T62. I'm not recommending them unless you need one of their specific characteristics (water-based, fast drying, UV inhibitor). Otherwise, they're expensive and regular polyurethane, both water-based and solvent-based from Lowes/Home Depot will work fine.

 

[kevin_u]

Hank,

thanks for the tips. I've used General Finishes in the past with excellent results, oil sealer/stain and oil/urethane top-coat. I believe the GF finishes are worth the extra money.

I'll be near a Woodcraft this week, I'll pick up some of the concentrated dye and GF top-coat you suggested.

As Darren suggested, I'll mix the dye with water.

Kevin