Staining Advice

[Crabbyboater]

I've made some projects from red oak, then applied Watco (oil based) golden oak stain, finally finishing with multiple coats of Deft Clear spray.  On some of these, the stain seems to soak into the wider grains of the oak, going fairly dark.  Is there some sort of "pre-stain" I could use to prevent that?  I have some water based prestain but don't think it's the thing to use because I'd be mixing water and oil based solutions, and the water based will raise the grain.

Any ideas?

[BilltheDiver]

I'm pretty sure that wood conditioner is available in both oil based and water based solutions, however using the water  based under a solvent finish shouldn't cause a problem providing you have allowed sufficient drying time.  You might also want to look into a grain filler intended for filling open pored woods like oak and mahogany.  This greatly reduces the number of finish coats required, as well as helping out on evening up the finish.  By the way, the old fashioned finish use most on red oak was an "amber" shellac which adds some color and character but is easy to use and available in brush on or spray cans.

[Crabbyboater]

Thanks for your response, Bill.  I went to Home Depot but they didn't have anything that was oil based, so I finally used the water based sealer I had.  It worked, but raised the grain a lot, leaving me with a whole lot of sanding to do in tiny places, etc.  Won't do that again!

I've never used shellac as you suggested, and not sure what I should look for when I visit the paint departments again.  Could you be a bit more specific on what I should look for?  I know, most everyone else knows the answer to that, but I'm still a relative "newby' and feeling my way.

Thanks again,
John

[Crabbyboater]

Well, here I am, talking to myself again...went to a different Home Depot and found clear shellac in a spray can, and amber in quart cans.  I bought both and will try them, see how they do.  Again, thanks for your help, Bill.

John

[BilltheDiver]

Both will work fine, and I use both.  I use the rattle can for small projects and the regular for larger.  If you want to spray the quart can type, you can thin it with denatured alcohol.  Works good for clean up as well.  Shellac drys quickly so you will enjoy it.  I usually finish up by using 0000 steel wool dipped in paste wax.  It takes off any nibs and adds a very even luster to the finish.