Walnut Table Finish

[MattW]

I'm working on a walnut dining table. I would like to even out the tone of the different boards and darken it slightly. I plan to test Tried and True danish oil with a small amount of Mixol "tobacco" colored tint. Does anyone have any suggestions for anything else to try?

 

[Roy G]

In my experience, a dining table is going to get stuff spilled on it. The danish oil will not provide a surface build so anything on the table top will soak in. I have always used a tung oil finish-really a wiping varnish-for table tops. Or wipe on poly. If you could get some lacquer sprayed on, that would work too. The colored tint is a good idea since the color of walnut can vary quite a bit.

Roy G

 

[MattW]

The danish oil with tint was just recommended as a first coat, as an easier way to even out and darken the color.

 

[JohnnyR]

Matt, I've used Watco danish oil on walnut. (can get it at the BORGS, or better yet at Klingspor) I built a bedroom set for my daughter and she wanted a darker finish so I used the Watco medium walnut finish and was very happy with it. It also was helpful in evening out the color with the walnut ply I used for nightstand sides and shelves. I overcoated it with amber shellac which I rubbed out with #0000 steel wool and then I added a mixture of mineral oil, wax and mineral spirits for the final rub out. Very pleased with it although you probably will want a film finish on the table top.

 

[Jeff]

Does anyone have any suggestions for anything else to try?

1. A few pics to see what you're looking at for tone/contrast.

2. Walnut is usually fairly dark and uniform but steam kiln drying produces a washed out look where the heartwood and sapwood attempt to blend but really don't so there's color differences. Is that what you're trying to even out?

3. A durable finish is good for a dining table. Waterlox Original Sealer/Finish is excellent; easy to apply and easy to touch up/repair when necessary.

http://www.waterlox.com

 

[kooshball]

Waterlox original is very good and pretty easy. My personal best results have been achieved by first using BLO sanded in at 600 grit to darken the wood a bit and bring out the figure. When that has dried / cured for a week or so I top it with a clear varnish like Pratt and Lambert no 38. An example of the result is below.

 

[MattW]

I tried blending the Mixol tobacco colored tint into polymerized linseed oil, as described earlier. I did not get the desired effect. Then I tried it with water and had similar results. Now I plan to try Solar Lux American Walnut. I'll start with a 50% dilution on a test piece and go from there.

The photo below is the table top in question. My primary object is to darken the boards on the right to better match the others. But, I wouldn't mind if the whole piece was a tad darker as well. I welcome any other thoughts or ideas.

 

[Jeff]

I welcome any other thoughts or ideas.

Leave it as is. It looks pretty darn good overall so why fret over a shade or two lighter or darker here and there?

My point? If all of those boards came out of the same tree, which would be ideal, there's still going to be some color variation. Don't fight it and let the wood speak on its own behalf.

 

[danmart77]

Matt
I'm a little late to the game but in the future the best way to "even out" boards is to use water based dye -- not stains. You can adjust the strengthvery easily and test the results as you go. Additionally, if you get a little heavy, you can bring it back(lighter) by wiping a moist cloth over the dyed area to take some back.

This step that I call the base is the important beginning of color matching. Several other steps before final finishing but it takes a demo or conversation to make sense.

couple of walnut boxes built with scraps. lots of variation and coloring to blend to an acceptable level. I used water dye, sealed with shellac, toned with pigment stain, sealed with shellac then finished out with alkyd varnish.

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[Glenn1]

This is going to sound self serving and I apologize in advance. When I build a project using walnut, I first use only blonde unwaxed shellac cut with denatured alcohol. I prefer a 2/1 cut. I would use 0000 steel wool between coats and usually use 3 coats. If the wood could be in contact with moisture, then I would add oil based poly as the final coat. I don't add any additional stain because it is not necessary. There are local companies that will sell you all heartwood from the same tree so you get a nice uniform color and the boards are definitely not steamed. We just happen to be one of those companies. It is also less expensive than purchasing from a large retailer.

 

[MattW]

When I tried the dye, I did not like the effect it had on the wood. It soaked into the pores heavily and made them very dark so that they stood out heavily,detracting from the character of the rest of the wood. When I looked into it more I found that this is not an uncommon problem, and it can be helped with a seal coat.

I haven't tried the seal coat and dye on any test pieces. I was able to dig up some scraps of that seemed to accurately represent the range of colors on the table. When I applied T&T Varnish Oil to them, the wood darkened and tone evened itself out quite a bit, plus my wife liked the idea of preserving the "story" of the table. Anyway, I'm almost done with the extensions and the pedestals and I expect to finish the rest off by the end of next week. I will upload some more photos when I do. Thanks for all of the insight.

 

[BKHam]

that chest of drawers looks amazing

 

[MattW]

The final result after 4 coats of Tried and True Varnish Oil and 2 coats of Tried and True Original Wood finish. I'm pretty happy with the way it looks and I'm satisfied with how the boards that were of a slightly different tone/color turned out (left side of 2nd picture).



Thank you to scsmith42 for the wood and the helpful pointers.

 

[golfdad]

Beautiful table Matt

 

[danmart77]

Hey Matt
Finally done. Looks good.

Just a note for the future:

I tried blending the Mixol tobacco colored tint into polymerized linseed oil, as described earlier. I did not get the desired effect. Then I tried it with water and had similar results

Once you introduce any oil to the surface, water based dyes no longer work. This is a common mistake made in the coloring schedule.

Lots of walnut there. I was wondering? At some point did you fill the grain on the table top?

Have fun
Dan

 

[MattW]

I tried each method described above on a separate piece of scrap.

I did not fill the grain on the table top.

 

[Touchwood]

For what it's worth..and also very late in the game, I never try to change the color of kiln or air dried walnut. I totally avoid steamed walnut. Here's a partner desk I did a few years ago. As usual I only used Sutherland Welles polymerized tung-oil...nothing else. Sorry about the dark picture.

.

Don

 

[thsb]

The table looks great. I think one of the most interesting parts of building something is how the different boards go together. I spend a lot of time trying boards against different boards, deciding whether to go with wider ones or splitting them and spacing them out, etc... ultimately we come up with what works for each of us and what we like. sometimes those decisions are prompted through less than perfect planning or woodworking (the case for me in almost every big project).

I think that if the picture is accurate you have some color differentiation throughout the table, and the end you were talking about on this thread blends in. hope you enjoy it for a long time.

 

[Touchwood]

The table looks great. I think one of the most interesting parts of building something is how the different boards go together. I spend a lot of time trying boards against different boards, deciding whether to go with wider ones or splitting them and spacing them out, etc... ultimately we come up with what works for each of us and what we like. sometimes those decisions are prompted through less than perfect planning or woodworking (the case for me in almost every big project).

I think that if the picture is accurate you have some color differentiation throughout the table, and the end you were talking about on this thread blends in. hope you enjoy it for a long time.

Absolutely +1 on that Tim,

You end up studying the boards , the color, the grain and putting them together the way you think they look best overall. In the end it's what you like that counts...and chances are really good that you are 100% right...:eusa_clap

Don