[jer12744]

I have made alot of furniture out of quartersawn RED oak for our house but I'm thinking about using white for our grandfather clock but i'm wondering if the stained color will be alot different or just more flecks showing ?

 

[mdntrdr]

Red and White Oak will stain very close to the same. Do some samples. :smile:

 

[Steve Neul]

You may have to add a small amount of red oxide to the stain to make a match for the color. I would probably stain it with the same stain first and make alterations with a dye or toner to fine tune the color.

 

[Brian T.]

Both the red and white oak groups of species have enough tannins for a couple of very old-time, very old-school finishes. You might consider these.

a) ebonizing = a brew of iron (steel wool) and vinegar (acetic acid). the iron acetate reacts with the tannins.

b) fuming with ammonia. I've seen the works of other wood carvers done this way. Real ammonia in a dish, outdoors together with the carving(s) in a garbage bag. Other woods like birch require a preconditioner of tannin (aka 10x strong tea.)