mixing black japan with ?

[la Huerta]

hey all...:)

yep another new thread regarding staining, hey at least this one is my own and i didn't hijack someone else's this time...:U


...alrighty then...

still experimenting, and will post the results when i get that perfect solution... those who read my post will know i use oregon, pine has the same problems with the grain, stain never looks good on the stuff...there seems to be a lot of forum members having problems getting good results on pine...

This time round i'v been trying black japan added to something, like an oil varnish, i had a drop of FloorProof left and tinted it with the BJ (after sealing the wood completely with shellac and a coat of the FP) and applying several coats to build up the color, i have to say the results so far is of very good quality, because the grain is sealed completely the color is completely even :)

so i hope this may help some others who use not so great timber and want to get great results...

..but i have a question, probably Neil would help best with this..

...what else can i add black japan to, Neil if you reading this, i'm pretty sure you've mentioned somewhere before that you've added BJ to other varnishes etc, it seems to be ok with the floorseal but i'm looking for something a little tougher, i think i may have tried weatherproof with BJ once before and it went sort of muddy..., i'm kind of worried the BJ may effect the varnish and soften it or something...any suggestions appreciated on what you or other members have used in the past ...

la H

[ubeaut]

I see no reason why BJ can't be mixed readily with all turpentine based stains and finishes. I have often use it with red and rosewood stains to get a deep ritch mahogany colour or similar.

I never mix stains with a finish as I don't like the look. I have used stains in shellac for colour matching purposes but am even a bit dubious about that unless it is done during the initial coats.

For pine and oregan you could try using condies crystals as a chemical dye. It gives a deep rich walnut look to the timber and was used extensively for cheaper pine stuff in the past.

Pine and oregan are always going to be just that, pine and oregan, nothing more. Almost nothing can be done to change that fact, with the possible exception of a good coat of paint, even then it is often easy to pick if not prepared properly before painting.


Cheers - Neil :U

Keep on experimenting. It's al good fun and you never know what you might come up with. That's where most of our polishes come from.

[la Huerta]

thanks for the response Neil:2tsup:


yeh who knows i may invent something new !...i'll keep with the BJ as a tint in varnish, i'll also give feastwatson a buz tomorrow and see what they say, on the tin it says it can be mixed with most oil varnishes...i'm not actually looking at making oregon look like some other timber, i think that's where the major mistake is and that's why it can look so cheap, but instead I'm actually creating a finish on it's own that will not be related to the look of the wood, if you look at Chinese colored furniture the same principle is used...

as soon as i get it right i'll post some pics of the results...

[Lignum]

Pine and oregan are always going to be just that, pine and oregan, nothing more. Almost nothing can be done to change that fact, with the possible exception of a good coat of paint, even then it is often easy to pick if not prepared properly before painting.



Thats a bit rough:) Forget the pine, but Oregan (quality 1/4 sawn) is an outstanding timber for furniture.

[la Huerta]

Thats a bit rough:) Forget the pine, but Oregan (quality 1/4 sawn) is an outstanding timber for furniture.


well put :2tsup:it's actually the only timber i use, i'v done a few pieces with just oil or shellac, and prefer it to light colored hardwoods because it has so much character......

[pingyyy]

My friend is into old homes and she had used black japan and she thined with methylated spirits. She couldnt remember where she got it from. Anyone have any idea where I might get it from?:?