nervous about finishing T/oak

[jadem]

Hi, I'm a bit nervous about finishing some Tasmanian Oak shelves that I had cut for adjustable shelving. I was thinking I'd like it a walnut sort of mid brown, cool based rather than golden and fairly flat or satin but I haven't stained anything before so I'm worried that I'm going to use the wrong thing and just ruin the timber. I have gone over the cut ends of the shelves with a sander but its not super smooth like the dressed (?) edges so I'm not sure if I should use a primer first.

Maybe as a complete amateur I would be best not worrying about colour but just oiling the timber? It's in a wardrobe so is there a minimum step I could take to protect the timber?

Thanks in advance for your advice!

[Kev Y.]

Jadem, welcome..

Before you start staining and finishing, maybe you should practice on a scrap piece of material.

With the application of the stain, rub it on oi a circular motion, then wipe off the excess stain using a clean piece of cloth. There is not a great deal you can do to ruin the stain process.

The end grain will always show up darker than the long grain of the board, do not try and prime the end grain with anything.

[jimbur]

The beauty of wood includes the fact that every piece is slightly different. However, I've found tas oak easy to stain evenly with proprietary stains such as Wattyl as long as you follow the instructions.
If you've any offcuts try on them first.
Assuming you've used an electric sander, finish off with the grain by hand until you are absolutely satisfied. If the end grain doesn't show in the finished product it isn't so much of a worry but finish it to the same smoothness.
The only real way to learn is by doing it and being your own hardest critic.
Cheers,
Jim

[jimbur]

Jadem, welcome..

Before you start staining and finishing, maybe you should practice on a scrap piece of material.

With the application of the stain, rub it on oi a circular motion, then wipe off the excess stain using a clean piece of cloth. There is not a great deal you can do to ruin the stain process.

The end grain will always show up darker than the long grain of the board, do not try and prime the end grain with anything.

[jadem]

Thankyou for your replies - it's very reassuring to not be told give up now but to give it a go. I did ask for a couple of offcuts so I can practice on those though they're not very big. It's good to know I don't need to worry about priming anything and I will take a look at wattyls range and stick with something like that. I did use an electric sander - I have a little black and decker mouse, but will go over the ends by hand to improve the finish. They won't really be visible though so it won't matter except to me if they're not quite right. I totally get being my own hardest critic too

Thank you again!

[Mr Brush]

Are we talking about the Wattyl Colorwood (now 'Interior Stain') here??

I also need to change the colour of a piece made in Tas Oak, and am just looking for what specific brand/product of stain would work best. Final finish over the stain would be Minwax Wipe On Poly or possibly FW Danish Oil.

Will using these finishes over the Wattyl stain change the colour much, i.e. should I go for a stain much darker than the desired final colour?

Any suggestions muchly appreciated.

[jimbur]

Are we talking about the Wattyl Colorwood (now 'Interior Stain') here??

I also need to change the colour of a piece made in Tas Oak, and am just looking for what specific brand/product of stain would work best. Final finish over the stain would be Minwax Wipe On Poly or possibly FW Danish Oil.

Will using these finishes over the Wattyl stain change the colour much, i.e. should I go for a stain much darker than the desired final colour?

Any suggestions muchly appreciated.

With the proviso that you can't lay down hard and fast rules for timber, I've found that I usually get a shade lighter with tas oak. Usual rules apply - try it on the cat first or failing that on an off-cut.
Cheers,
Jim

[Mr Brush]

Thanks jimbur - I'm after a mid-tone oak colour to match my home-made tas oak bedside tables to a commercially made (stained tas oak) bed. From what you're saying, 'dark oak' stain might be a good place to start !

Cheers

[jimbur]

Thanks jimbur - I'm after a mid-tone oak colour to match my home-made tas oak bedside tables to a commercially made (stained tas oak) bed. From what you're saying, 'dark oak' stain might be a good place to start !

Cheers

Best of luck. No guarantees at all with wood.
Cheers,
Jim