Courtoom finish for oak and oak veneer

[ear3]

I've been commissioned to build a movie set next month, and part of the set will involve a courtroom scene.  Normally I just do the build, and there's a painter who puts the finishing touches, so to speak, on the raw construction that I leave him with.  But this time he will be unavailable, and so I'm going to try to do the finishing myself.  My question is how to get that characteristic orange/brown tone on the oak paneling that I will use for the courtroom (mainly the judge's and witness bench).  I've added some pictures below for reference.

It seems like it's more than just a clear coat (something like Osmo PolyX, which does add an orangish tinge to oak, comes close though), and that some staining will be involved.  The grain should still be visible, but it should look washed/blended.  The problem I've had with stains in the past is that they come out really blotchy, especially on veneered ply, even when I pre-treat it with a conditioner.

So my questions:

1) Is there a clear coat on the market that will achieve the effect I'm going for?

2) If not, then what stains should I test out?

3) What clear-coat finish should be applied on top of the stain?

Thanks much.

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[tjbnwi]

Try Garnet Shellac.

http://homesteadfinishingproducts.com/products-we-offer/finishes/shellac/

Tom

 

[deepcreek]

These are very different courtrooms.  The top one looks fairly modern and the other two show some age (particularly the last one with all the quartersawn panels).

When I want new white oak to look old, I stain it with General Finishes Antique Cherry.  I know it sounds crazy but it creates a nice antique brown finish - not at all red.  Try it on a scrap and you'll see what I mean.

This is assuming that you're not trying to pop medullary rays or fill grain.  For a Stickley "fumed oak" finish I follow Jeff Jewitt's protocol but that's a lot more work than you're going to want to do on this kind of scale.

You could also just spray a top coat and add a little toner to it to get whatever look you want.  That's how a lot of factory built furniture is finished.

 

[Rip Van Winkle]

Have you checked whether the finish is required to be fire resistant?

 

[ear3]

No, though I'm pretty sure we won't have to worry about those sorts of regulations on this project.

Have you checked whether the finish is required to be fire resistant?

 

[ear3]

I guess the last courtroom (with the QSO) is the color I'm probably going for.  Yeah, the Jeff Jewitt approach is probably too involved for me on this project.  If I'm lucky we'll probably have a 48hr window between finishing the construction and starting to shoot, so ideally I need to come up with something that I can do over a two day period max.

I don't have a sprayer, but might get one for this project.  Could you recommend one that is decent but not bank busting?  It will only get occasional use after this project.

These are very different courtrooms.  The top one looks fairly modern and the other two show some age (particularly the last one with all the quartersawn panels).

When I want new white oak to look old, I stain it with General Finishes Antique Cherry.  I know it sounds crazy but it creates a nice antique brown finish - not at all red.  Try it on a scrap and you'll see what I mean.

This is assuming that you're not trying to pop medullary rays or fill grain.  For a Stickley "fumed oak" finish I follow Jeff Jewitt's protocol but that's a lot more work than you're going to want to do on this kind of scale.

You could also just spray a top coat and add a little toner to it to get whatever look you want.  That's how a lot of factory built furniture is finished.

 

[deepcreek]

If I'm lucky we'll probably have a 48hr window between finishing the construction and starting to shoot, so ideally I need to come up with something that I can do over a two day period max.

I don't have a sprayer, but might get one for this project.  Could you recommend one that is decent but not bank busting?  It will only get occasional use after this project.

Two days?  That's not much time.  Unless you are very experienced with spray finishing, I'd bring in a professional to handle this rather than risk ruining the whole project and having to sand everything out to start over.  I assume that there would be serious consequences if you cause a delay in filming.

As for an inexpensive sprayer, I'm a big believer that you get what you pay for.  That's why I buy Festool instead of discount tools.  I started with a conversion setup from Homestead Finishing and now have an Apollo turbine as well.  Each rig was over $1,000.  As I recall, Tom (tjbnwi) really likes Fuji and they may run less.

Given the time constraints, I still think your best bet is to bring in some expert help to handle the finishing.

 

[tjbnwi]

Zar Salem Maple will get you real close to that color on QSWO.

I'm with Joe on this go big or go home on the HVLP system. I do use the Fuji Q4.

I'm also with Joe on bringing someone in for this one, time is to tight to learn on this one.

Tom

 

[tiralie]

I agree with the above.
Just hand brush/paint it. The camera won't see that detail, even in high rez.

 

[ear3]

Understood.  I'll see if I can get someone -- in the meantime, I'll try some tests with the various methods/materials mentioned here and see if I can cut down the learning curve and maybe build enough confidence to do it myself if absolutely necessary.

If I'm lucky we'll probably have a 48hr window between finishing the construction and starting to shoot, so ideally I need to come up with something that I can do over a two day period max.

I don't have a sprayer, but might get one for this project.  Could you recommend one that is decent but not bank busting?  It will only get occasional use after this project.

Two days?  That's not much time.  Unless you are very experienced with spray finishing, I'd bring in a professional to handle this rather than risk ruining the whole project and having to sand everything out to start over.  I assume that there would be serious consequences if you cause a delay in filming.

As for an inexpensive sprayer, I'm a big believer that you get what you pay for.  That's why I buy Festool instead of discount tools.  I started with a conversion setup from Homestead Finishing and now have an Apollo turbine as well.  Each rig was over $1,000.  As I recall, Tom (tjbnwi) really likes Fuji and they may run less.

Given the time constraints, I still think your best bet is to bring in some expert help to handle the finishing.