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Red oak is popular with woodworkers because of its natural appearance. Fortunately, it is too easy to stain. Layering dye, gel stain, and a topcoat is a way to turn red oak a consequent color with a beautiful stop. Each layer should be sealed with shellac and sanded to improve the stain. Take your time while working and yous may get the perfect finish on your red oak.

  1. 1

    Put on protective wearable and work in a well-ventilated area. The staining products used to colour the oak can stain your easily, so article of clothing safe gloves. Ever wearable a respirator mask to avoid animate in chemic fumes every bit well as wood particles from any sanding you do. Additionally, continue fresh air circulating in the room.

    • You tin can improve the room'southward apportionment by opening any doors and windows nearby. Brand utilise of fans or work outside.
    • Purchase a respirator mask from a full general store or hardware store.

  2. 2

    Sand the wood with 120-grit sandpaper. Select a medium-grit sandpaper, so look closely at the woods to discover the direction of the grain. Work along the grain, lightly sanding to remove debris and prepare the oak for staining.[1]

    • Ever motion in the direction of the grain when sanding wood to ensure a smooth, compatible terminate.
    • The grain is the nighttime lines in the forest, and in red oak these lines are very like shooting fish in a barrel to run across.

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  3. three

    Polish out the wood with 220-grit sandpaper. Switch to a fine-grit sandpaper and go back over the wood. Lightly abrade the entire surface area you wish to stain. Accident off any forest shavings left over on the oak.[ii]

    • You tin can utilize a material or vacuum to make certain all of the debris is off of the woods. Any debris left over tin interfere with the stain.

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  1. 1

    Mix a woods dye in h2o. These dyes are requite oak a consistent base of operations color that improves the final stain. All y'all take to practice is stir the dye powder into a glass jar filled with water according to the manufacturer's instructions. Mix the dye powder in 50% more water than the label recommends, since this thins the dye and prevents the woods from absorbing too much color.[iii]

    • For example, y'all might mix nearly one⁄two loving cup (120 mL) of dye in 2 cups (470 mL) of hot water.
    • Visit a home improvement store to find a multifariousness of wood dye shades.
    • For example, a honey amber dye works well on ruby oak, turning it a lite brown color.

  2. 2

    Mist the oak with water to improve dye assimilation. Fill a spray canteen with room temperature h2o. Move the bottle forth the forest as you spray water onto it. You want to lightly moisten information technology, non saturate information technology. The water fills the oak's pores, causing it to dye more evenly.[iv]

    • Y'all tin besides apply a sponge to moisten the wood.
    • While you tin can stain dry woods, this may lead to dark patches and streaks in the stain.

  3. 3

    Spray the dye onto the forest. Empty out the spray bottle, so load the thinned dye into it. Bring the nozzle close to the oak every bit yous brainstorm misting the dye onto information technology. Slowly move the bottle along the oak to cover it in a lite, fifty-fifty layer of dye.[5]

    • You tin also apply clean rags or paper towels to wipe the dye onto the wood.

  4. 4

    Absorb off the excess dye after x minutes. The dye will begin soaking into the wood right away. After you are done misting dye, utilize clean rags or paper towels to wipe away the remaining dye. Think to work along the oak'south grain.[6]

    • Wiping smooths out the blanket and removes excess dye that can make the wood as well night.

  5. 5

    Await about 2 hours for the dye to dry out. Yous volition need to wait for the oak to experience dry out to the touch on. If the dye isn't stale properly, information technology may discolor the terminal stain. The dye may also darken during this time, so waiting can aid y'all get an idea of how much more than dye the wood needs.

    • Bank check the manufacturer'southward instructions for drying recommendations.

  6. vi

    Utilise actress coatings of dye as needed. Y'all may need to repeat dyeing 2 or three times to get the color yous want. Remember to look for the wood to dry every time you add another coating of dye. The oak should exist a consistent color when you are finished.[7]

    • Each blanket of dye deepens the oak's coloring, so be cautious. Reversing a dark dye chore is very difficult and you may need to start over on new wood if this happens.

  7. seven

    Sand the wood lightly with 320-dust sandpaper. Sand along the wood'south grain, pressing down very lightly to avert scratching the oak. This scuffs the oak so it is ameliorate able to blot sealant. Wipe off the wood particles with a make clean, dry tack cloth when you're finished. [viii]

    • Employ only fine-grit sandpaper. Anything coarser will damage the wood.
    • Brand certain you sand the unabridged area. Any areas that appear dull in light usually oasis't been sanded enough.

  8. eight

    Castor dewaxed shellac onto the dye to seal it into the forest. You lot will need a tin of clear shellac from a home comeback store. Expect for the 2 pounds (0.91 kg) variety. Using a pigment brush or make clean rag, spread the shellac onto the oak, moving along the grain.[9]

    • The 2 pounds (0.91 kg) characterization on the can of shellac means that 2 pounds (0.91 kg) of shellac flakes were dissolved in booze.
    • You can use sanding sealer or varnish instead of shellac.

  9. 9

    Wait 30 minutes for the shellac to dry. The shellac should experience dry out to the touch. Depending on how well-ventilated your workspace is, drying may take a fiddling longer than this.

    • Check the manufacturer's instructions for the recommended drying time.

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  1. 1

    Scuff the oak again with 320-dust sandpaper. Utilize the fine-dust sandpaper to scuff the surface area you dyed and sealed earlier. Press very lightly then you don't rub through the shellac blanket the wood. Sanding helps the gel stain settle over the shellac.[ten]

  2. two

    Brush gel stain onto the wood. The easiest manner to use the gel stain is with a cream castor, simply you can utilize make clean rags or paper towels as well. Spread the gel over the area you lot dyed earlier. The gel is thick, so you lot won't exist able to create a sparse, smooth coating. As long as the entire dyed area is covered, the forest will stain properly.[11]

    • Visit a abode improvement store to purchase gel stain. You can cull from many different colors to stain reddish oak.
    • For example, yous tin use a dark walnut stain to colour the oak gilt brown. This shade goes well with honey amber dye if you used it earlier.

  3. 3

    Wipe off the excess gel with make clean rags. The gel will begin settling in right away. It's of import to pick up the excess gel as before long as possible to prevent the forest from getting too dark. Wipe the rags along the wood'southward grain, removing as much of the gel as possible.

    • The thinner you make the gel, the lighter the stain color will be.[12]
    • It is better to sparse the gel now for a lighter stain, since y'all tin always darken the stain after.

  4. iv

    Allow the gel stain dry for a twenty-four hour period. Gel stains dry out relatively slowly, and so give the wood plenty of time before working on it again. Set it in a safe location on a counter or table in a well-ventilated area. The wood should feel completely dry out to the touch before you brainstorm working on it again.

  5. v

    Apply more coats of gel stain as needed. Check the stain's coloring later on it dries. Information technology should look calorie-free and consequent beyond the oak. If yous want the woods to be a darker color, coat the oak in more gel. You may need to do this two or three times to get the shade you desire.[thirteen]

    • Always wipe off the excess gel right abroad and permit the forest dry completely.
    • If you employ likewise much gel, you lot tin can wipe the oak with mineral spirits to sparse the stain. This but works while the gel is moisture.

  6. 6

    Dry gel stain rags in open up air before throwing them away. Gel stain is a flammable substance. Whatever brushes, rags, or wearable that touched the stain should be spread out on a non-flammable surface. Wait for these items to experience completely hardened to the impact. When this happens, you can put the items into the trash.[14]

    • Keep the rags out of straight sunlight so they do not combust.
    • You can besides fill a metallic container with cold water and put the items in information technology. Seal the container, and then take it to a chancy waste matter disposal heart in your area.

  7. 7

    Seal the gel stain with shellac. Once you are done staining the woods, apply another coating of shellac. Paint it onto the oak, working forth the grain. Make sure it is applied in a thin, even layer. Permit the shellac dry out for xxx minutes before finishing the woods.[15]

    • The shellac seals the gel stain'south coloring into the wood, protecting it.
    • You tin can use the aforementioned shellac you may accept used if you lot dyed the wood. Just use dewaxed 2 pounds (0.91 kg) shellac.

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  1. one

    Sand the wood with 320-dust sandpaper. Wear down the woods and so it tin better blot the sealant. Use a light touch on, since you don't want to break through the shellac.[16]

  2. 2

    Comprehend the oak with varnish or some other finisher. Varnish can be used as a sturdy topcoat that protects the oak for years. You tin attempt using a clear spar varnish. Dip a pigment castor into the varnish, so spread information technology along the length of the forest. Keep this until the stained area is coated in a sparse layer.[17]

    • Yous tin can use lacquer instead, which is durable and glossier but tin can discolor over time.
    • Some other choice is polyurethane, which tin can make the forest's finish look brighter and protect it from water.

  3. 3

    Let the end dry out for 2 hours. Protect the oak until the topcoat dries completely. Keep the expanse well-ventilated so air flows through the room, speeding up the drying procedure.[18]

    • Check the manufacturer's recommended drying time, since this tin can change depending on what topcoat you employ.

  4. four

    Apply a 2d layer of topcoat as needed. Bank check the topcoat layer past shining a light on the oak. You should exist able to come across the waxy finish on the wood. Make sure the layer looks smooth. If it isn't, you may want to coat the oak in a second layer to finish the oak.

    • Let the new layer of varnish dry completely before using the forest.

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  • Work forth the wood's grain when sanding or applying chemicals to the oak.

  • Wipe wood particles off with a clean rag anytime you sand the oak.

  • Test staining products on scrap wood until you know how to get the color you desire.

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  • Gel stains are flammable. Dry rags and dispose of them charily.

  • Wear protective wearable to avoid breathing in chemicals and forest particles.

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Things Yous'll Need

  • Safe gloves
  • Respirator
  • Clean rags
  • Pigment brush
  • 120-dust sandpaper
  • 220-dust sandpaper
  • 320-grit sandpaper
  • Woods dye
  • Water
  • Mixing basin
  • Wood mixing stick
  • Gel stain
  • Varnish
  • Dewaxed 2 pounds (0.91 kg) shellac

References

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