Finish suggestions for QSWO

[DaveO]

I am working on a project using QSWO with some really nice ray flake figure in it. I would like some suggestions for a finish that is pretty quick and easy that will darken the wood ala A&C style and enhance the ray fleck. Fuming in out of the question It's a small piece so a length multi-step process with a lot of finishing products I don't have would be difficult. So basically I am looking for a products/schedule that can be obtained locally.
Any suggestions????
TIA

Dave

[JimmyC]

Dave,

I have an old article from Wood magazine (Dec. 2002), that seems loke a simple way to make the QS figure pop. The steps are below:

1) Mix a stain with water-soluble aniline dye, and aply using a foam brush. Blend all of your lap marks, sometimes using a dry brush will help. It will go on darker than the finished product and allow 12 hrs to dry.

2) Sand with 220 sandpaper, just enough to remove the dyed surface of the QS woods dense rays ( leaving the dark dye in the more porous parts of the grain), this removes the raised grain. Use a sanding block to avoid sanding through the dye on corners and edges. Use shop vac or compressed air to remove dust.

3)Finish to bring the color and pop back into the wood. They used shellac, do not use water-based finishes as they will reactivate the dye and may cause it to run.

Hope it helps.

Good Luck,
Jimmy

[DaveO]

Thanks Jimmy, I was wondering if sanding after coloring would help to highlight the ray fleck. I would suspect that I could acheive similar results using an oil based pigment stain
Dave

[FredP]

I've deen useing formbys tungoil lately and its the simplest finish I've ever used. wipe on and wait. wipe on and wait........ 7-10 coats later and a week or so drying time then wax and buff. If I can do it anybody can!

[jmauldin]

Try flooding the surface with boiled linseed oil, letting it soak in a little while, then wipe dry. After 24-48 hrs. apply shellac. You can then put on whatever finish you want.
Jim in Mayberry

[Gofor]

DaveO: I used the 1 - 1 - 1 wipe-on mix of poly, BLO, MS on the white oak work bench I made, and the end aprons had a quite a bit of ray. It did not "pop" the ray at all, and in fact seemed to tone it down some. I used satin poly as that is what I had, which may account for some of it, but I will be looking for a different method if I use any QS in a nice furniture project. Its now a year later and you have to look for the fleck to see it unless the light is really bright.

Just my experience.

Go

[Tarhead]

Here's an attempt to duplicate Stickley White Oak fumed finish from Jeff Jewitt that I like:
sand to 120 ros, hand to 150
Olympic special walnut stain X 15min
wipe dry, sit overnite
rag on Watco dark walnut danish oil
sit for 15min wipe off dry over nite
rag on coat of zinzer bullseye amber shellac dry overnite
lightly rub out w/grey pad
wax
Want it darker? more Watco or shellac

[DaveO]

Went to Lowe's today to get some Walnut stain and some Watco Walnut Danish oil. Somebody must be doing a lot of A&C styled finishes, as they were flat out of both
Ended up using a bit of Early American stain that I had lying around. I think I will give it a light sanding tomorrow to "pop" the rays, as that did well on my sample piece, then some shellac and lacquer to finish it all off.
Maybe I'll have something to show y'all next Saturday.

Dave