Fuming my latest project

[EricS]

2 years ago I drove down the road near my house and spied a massive white oak blown over in someone’s yard, so I stopped in and asked what they had planned for the tree. They said they wanted it gone. I topped the tree for fire wood and the rest was a 26’ of clear white oak that was 31” at the butt. The tre also took down a fairly large red oak with it. I took the logs to a friend’s Woodmizer and turned the white oak into quarter sawn and the red was cut into a can’t and sawn into 6/4. It has been drying with stickers for the last two years and finally ready for use. I have always been an arts and crafts fan so I decided to start with a small round topped coffee table copying a design I seen on line for reference. Used power tools to break it down, tablesaw, jointer and planer. All work after this was done with Japanese and Western hand tools. Mistakes were made but over all it has turned out good so far. Put it in a tent tonight wit some 28% ammonia and will be keeping an eye on it until I get the color I am looking for. I am planning on using amber shellac as the next step and I’m not sure what I want to put on as a top coat? I am open to suggestions. Thanks for looking.

Glue up.

In the tent

Testing the fit before glue up.

 

[dancam]

Very nicely done

 

[drw]

Eric, very beautiful done and I am really impressed with your joinery! I tried fuming once with a white oak table; it worked well but it was not as dark as I was hoping so I ending up applying a stain coat.

 

[Oka]

Looks really nice !
If you want to get adventurous might try treating the oak with Baking soda solution one day then fume another if you want a darker result

 

[Graywolf]

Really good work.

 

[JohnnyR]

Had a table that I fumed, turned out the top must have been red oak and the legs white. Had to dye the top to match the legs. I like your design!

 

[Canuck]

Very well done!!

 

[gamiller3rd]

Well done

 

[EricS]

Thanks for all the kind comments! I’m still debating what I want to use for a top coat. I’m open to opinions. I do have a ways to go on my joinery. But each project is seeing small improvements.

 

[EricS]

I ended up fuming for 60 hours and applied quite a few coats of amber shellac. Then Coates with paste wax. I really like the color but didn’t get the pop of the rays and fleck like I wanted. I will have to do some experimenting before finishing up the rest of the furniture for the living room.

 

[cyclopentadiene]

I have not fumed oak but with curly cherry, I saw the same effect. The finish was more evened out after fuming taking away a lot of the grain effect.
I think this is why antiques all look similar as the aging process causes the special grain effects to diminish.