Applying Osmo Hardwax Oil on yellow pine

[Tycho91]

For a small home project I'm trying to stain some Yellow Pine to look more like Zebrano.
I have quite some zebrano veneered MDF panels which I want to use for a cabinet.

I don't have any Zebrano wood available but do have a large amount of Yellow Pine left. I would like to stain the Yellow Pine and use it as edge banding and legs for the cabinet. The wood grain seems similar enough (in my eyes) for a 18mm strip but the colors of course don't match.

I'm going to run some test pieces (Osmo 3073, 3074 and 3075) to see if it matches enough  but have a question regarding the application. What I've read is that you first need to fixate softwood before staining. Osmo never mentions this in their application "manual" for soft wood. I also picked up some transparant matt Osmo Hardwax Oil, could this be used as a first layer to fixate the wood?

Do you need to fixate the soft wood first when using Osmo Hardwax Oil?

 

[leakyroof]

What they might mean is this. Softwoods, and some hardwoods ,are blotchy or uneven when oiling or staining unless you pre-treat the wood surface with a liquid treatment of Mineral Spirits, or similar product.  There are commercial pre-stain or pre-oil treatment out there, but if you dig through the ingredients, they almost all contain a hydrocarbon type liquid similar to Mineral Spirits or Naptha.
Save your money and just buy a small container of Naptha or similar solvent/type mineral spirits- Use a rag to wipe down the surface you want to oil. Let that dry a short while/ bit[ maybe 15 to 30mins], then apply your oil. The color will be more limited in what gets in the Pores of the wood since you are pre-filling them with solvent, BUT, you have more control over the preventing of the Blotching or uneven coloring.  You can always add 1 more coat of Oil over that first one.

Glazes are another way to get a base color , that you then work more color on top of versus using just Oil.

I have pre-treated Poplar wood with Naptha to get a stain I wanted, with several color stages of stain being applied, no blotchy finish when done, and you'l almost never know it wa Poplar under those several layers of stain.

 

[Tycho91]

What they might mean is this. Softwoods, and some hardwoods ,are blotchy or uneven when oiling or staining unless you pre-treat the wood surface with a liquid treatment of Mineral Spirits, or similar product.  There are commercial pre-stain or pre-oil treatment out there, but if you dig through the ingredients, they almost all contain a hydrocarbon type liquid similar to Mineral Spirits or Naptha.
Save your money and just buy a small container of Naptha or similar solvent/type mineral spirits- Use a rag to wipe down the surface you want to oil. Let that dry a short while/ bit[ maybe 15 to 30mins], then apply your oil. The color will be more limited in what gets in the Pores of the wood since you are pre-filling them with solvent, BUT, you have more control over the preventing of the Blotching or uneven coloring.  You can always add 1 more coat of Oil over that first one.

Glazes are another way to get a base color , that you then work more color on top of versus using just Oil.

I have pre-treated Poplar wood with Naptha to get a stain I wanted, with several color stages of stain being applied, no blotchy finish when done, and you'l almost never know it wa Poplar under those several layers of stain.

Thanks for the great insights! Price difference is indeed massive between the primers and regular naphta/mineral spirits. I'll try that one first!

 

[Cheese]

Thanks for the great insights! Price difference is indeed massive between the primers and regular naphta/mineral spirits. I'll try that one first!

Let us know how it turns out, especially with a couple of before & after photos.  [big grin]