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I bought a walnut slab with live edges (and sapwood) along both edges. I am trying to use it for the top of a sofa table. I have never finished walnut before and want to mask the sapwood. I have seen walnut finished with the sapwood as a design feature, but that won't work on this. I wouldn't mind cutting off the sapwood, but that would leave a section of the slab a couple of inches too narrow.
My question is whether there's any way for me to dye the sapwood in a way that will let it blend into the darker wood. Or will that just look hideous? No spray equipment, so it need to be wipe-on stuff. My favorite is GF water based dye, but I have used their gel stuff as well.
Thanks in advance.
Steve
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Hey Steve
I have used A water based dye with a artist brush to dye the sap wood took a while then a oil based glaze over the complete top was able to match it verrry close I was never able to see it.
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Steve, I think Jim is on the right track, although you may wish to use a sponge or cloth to apply the dye if you have a sapwood that's 2" wide. You can mask off the heart wood if the sapwood runs smoothly, to keep the dye off of it. If you can't do that just work carefully but if you do get some dye onto the heart wood you can go back with a clean, damp sponge or rag and remove it or at least blend it in.
Play with some scrap to see what process and dye concentration works best. It only has to be close. The glaze you add later will really even things out. If I were doing this I would spray the top with Sealcoat shellac after the dye is on and dry. If you don't have spray equipment use rattle can shellac; it's essentially the same stuff. That will seal the dye and allow you to apply the glaze evenly, even remove it while it's still damp if you have to.
John
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Wow. Thanks.
I like the idea of shellac to seal the dye. Any suggestions for what glaze to use? Do I add color to the glaze or am I just applying a clear glaze? I've never used done this before, but have read about the process. Luckily there's lots of scrap to play with.
Also, do I still need a top coat after the glaze?
Steve
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Steve, you can use a genuine glaze, or you can use gel stain. I've always used gel stain, GF's actually. Which ever you use, you want some color in it; clear would be like applying finish. The glaze helps unify the color as well as depth to the finish. You put on a very thin coat, wiping almost all of it off. If the sapwood is still light compared to the heartwood after you've dyed it, you could start by applying a coat of glaze just to the sapwood first, feathrering it into the heart wood. When that's dry then apply another coat to the whole top. Again, really thin coats.
You can put most any topcoat over the glaze. If in doubt, spray another coat of shellac after the glaze. I really like Arm-R-Seal on walnut.
John
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John,
Thanks a lot. Very helpful as always. I get it and think I recall reading something a while ago about using the gel stain as a glaze.
I must say that your expertise is a big part of what makes Woodnet so valuable.
Steve
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For a glaze, you might try a Mahogany gel stain which will bring out some reds and warm up the walnut, or a dark walnut gel stain will also work.
You could even get some artist oils and mix up a glaze, thin it out with a little BLO and add in just a little oil based varnish for a home made glaze. Maybe a Vandyke brown, burnt umber, and red to start with.
I have been using Sherwin Williams Vandyke glaze and it works great, however it is only available in gal containers.
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(12-05-2016, 03:24 PM)Scoony Wrote: For a glaze, you might try a Mahogany gel stain which will bring out some reds and warm up the walnut, or a dark walnut gel stain will also work.
You could even get some artist oils and mix up a glaze, thin it out with a little BLO and add in just a little oil based varnish for a home made glaze. Maybe a Vandyke brown, burnt umber, and red to start with.
I have been using Sherwin Williams Vandyke glaze and it works great, however it is only available in gal containers. Thanks for that. My finishing ability is very limited and the prospect of mixing colors is overwhelming. I have read about people using java for a glaze, which seems much darker than I imagines, but what do I know? I figure I'll use a walnut or mahogany water based dye first, seal with shellac, and then apply the glaze. If it works, you'll hear me celebrate. If not, you'll hear me groan.
For now, I'm still shaping the top. Takes a while with spokeshaves and rasps. Cold weather isn't helping either. Getting the green light on staining the sapwood helped me finalize the shape, so I'm hoping it works. If I end up having to get rid of the sapwood, the top gets much narrower - especially in the center.
As always, thanks for the advice.
Steve
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Thanks Jim. Very helpful.
Steve
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