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How's this finish for walnut?
- Thread starter 54ball
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54ball
62 Cal.
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The black tinted shellac will be a light first coat to fill the open grain of the walnut. Most of it will be sanded away. After that I will apply a couple more coats of plain shellac; sand back and then apply the cooked BLO.
Do you think I need to skip the ink mix?
Do you think I need to skip the ink mix?
Always try a new finish, going through all the steps to a complete finish, on scrap wood first. Preferably on a piece the stock came from. If this is not possible, try the barrel channel. What you suggest is often done with analine dyes of various colours to try to 'pop' the grain or enhance it. Be sure what you do does not 'muddy' the grain, a problem with many pigment stains.
IMHO, BLO is not a good choice for finish. I know, it is a traditional finish & many swear by it. You may find you end up with a finish that will not dry & then understand why many swear at it. My recommendation is polymerized tung oil.
Paul
IMHO, BLO is not a good choice for finish. I know, it is a traditional finish & many swear by it. You may find you end up with a finish that will not dry & then understand why many swear at it. My recommendation is polymerized tung oil.
Paul
jdkerstetter
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I don't believe 54ball is suggesting using staight hardware store BLO. He is planning to "cook" up a "varnish" with it, adding hardeners. There are concoctions that work very well for this, it's just that most people don't want to go through the work. It is sound when done correctly.
As for the Indian ink??? I would pass. I would need to do more research, but if I was using shelac I would suspend bone black or one of the dye or paint powders in it for color as it will add bulk and help with the fill and I would be worried about the ink bleeding and penetrating the wood surface.
Enjoy, J.D.
As for the Indian ink??? I would pass. I would need to do more research, but if I was using shelac I would suspend bone black or one of the dye or paint powders in it for color as it will add bulk and help with the fill and I would be worried about the ink bleeding and penetrating the wood surface.
Enjoy, J.D.
54
I would skip the india ink idea.If you wish to fill the pores I would use Constantines paste filler.It's avaiable on the net fron Constantines or Jim Chambers sells it.I filled the pores on the rifle pictured below with it.I sealed the wood with seed lac and the applied one coat of Spar Varnish(Your BLO would also work).Then I filled the grain with the paste filler let dry and the sanded back till only the grain was filled black.The paste filler is much easier to work with than the schelac as the shelac dries so fast.After filling put on as mant top coats as nessacary.If you have trouble finding the filler PM me your email and I will send you a source.
Mitch
I would skip the india ink idea.If you wish to fill the pores I would use Constantines paste filler.It's avaiable on the net fron Constantines or Jim Chambers sells it.I filled the pores on the rifle pictured below with it.I sealed the wood with seed lac and the applied one coat of Spar Varnish(Your BLO would also work).Then I filled the grain with the paste filler let dry and the sanded back till only the grain was filled black.The paste filler is much easier to work with than the schelac as the shelac dries so fast.After filling put on as mant top coats as nessacary.If you have trouble finding the filler PM me your email and I will send you a source.
Mitch
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Nice Mitch. I always enjoy seeing your work.
Me too!
54ball
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Nice, very nice and thanks Mitch,
I'm going to skip the ink.
I'm not so sure that this wood is black walnut. After removing the finish, it has a lot, I mean a lot of horizontal black streaks in the wood. They really pop out when you rub it with a damp cloth. It's an Italian made longrifle, receiving the "treatment". Could it be Europeon Walnt? Is there any difference in finishing if it is?
I wonder how it would look with just the shellac alone as filler, no tint, no stain other than the amber shellac and dark oil?
I'm going to skip the ink.
I'm not so sure that this wood is black walnut. After removing the finish, it has a lot, I mean a lot of horizontal black streaks in the wood. They really pop out when you rub it with a damp cloth. It's an Italian made longrifle, receiving the "treatment". Could it be Europeon Walnt? Is there any difference in finishing if it is?
I wonder how it would look with just the shellac alone as filler, no tint, no stain other than the amber shellac and dark oil?
It is European walnut and there was a time when people paid big bucks for those dark streaks in their gunstocks.
IMO, you should finish it just like you would if it was American Black Walnut.
IMO, you should finish it just like you would if it was American Black Walnut.
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Hi,
It is very likely European walnut, which usually is a fine stock wood. Mitch's advice is very good and European walnut will finish nicely using his method. Walnut has open pores that take time to fill. You can do it with just your topcoat of BLO varnish but it takes longer to fill the pores compared with using a filler first. Some makers, and I think Mike Brooks is an example, like to fill the pores of walnut with a black colored filler. It is rubbed back and then the top coat applied. That gives the walnut, particularly lighter colored European and English walnut, a mellow aged looks and highlights the grain.
dave
It is very likely European walnut, which usually is a fine stock wood. Mitch's advice is very good and European walnut will finish nicely using his method. Walnut has open pores that take time to fill. You can do it with just your topcoat of BLO varnish but it takes longer to fill the pores compared with using a filler first. Some makers, and I think Mike Brooks is an example, like to fill the pores of walnut with a black colored filler. It is rubbed back and then the top coat applied. That gives the walnut, particularly lighter colored European and English walnut, a mellow aged looks and highlights the grain.
dave
Thanks guys!!
54
If it's Euopean walnut you can fill it or not.As Dave said you can fill it with finish but it takes longer.Put your shellac on an a finish coat and see how it looks.I like a filled look but thats just me.
Mitch
54
If it's Euopean walnut you can fill it or not.As Dave said you can fill it with finish but it takes longer.Put your shellac on an a finish coat and see how it looks.I like a filled look but thats just me.
Mitch
