Finishing Hotline
by Michael Dresdner

Issue 163

I don't want to blow it!
I’ve got some stunning quilted maple and want to bring out the figure — but I don’t want it too dark! Is there a way to use dye or stain but still keep the great look I get with boiled linseed oil — it adds so much depth to the wood?
John Fels
West Allis, Wisconsin

Boiled linseed oil brings out the best in many woods, particularly those with dramatic figure, like curly or quilted maple. Dye will do the same thing, even more dramatically, but may add too much color for some tastes. Here are two recipes for "popping the grain."

To add richness and a small amount of amber color to figured wood, flood the surface with straight boiled linseed oil (no solvent added) and keep it wet for 10 minutes. Then wipe off whatever was not absorbed. Let it dry two days before continuing with shellac, lacquer, oil varnish or polyurethane. If a waterbased coating is on the menu, seal the wood with a coat of dewaxed shellac first.

For a darker color, add oil-soluble dye to the linseed oil, but you'd be better off doing it in two steps. That's because most oil-soluble dyes fade in sunlight much more than water-soluble ones. The first step is to color the wood with a water-soluble dye by flooding it on, then wiping it all off immediately, while it is still wet. Let the wood dry, then do the above oil treatment on the dyed wood.

- Michael Dresdner