This is the look I want

[robtonya]

This is the look of the stain I want. Now how do I do it. I figured out so far that I will need to stain it first, then a glaze, but I don't know how to glaze or where to get it. Any help?

 

[sw1211]

You might check out this site, they carry glazes and offer great info.
http://www.homesteadfinishing.com/

 

[dirtydeeds]

i had a close look at the photo

the timber looks as if it has perhaps had a very light sand blasting (to expose the grain a bit) after construction but before finishing

i dont know how to reproduce this slight grainy feel 

 

[downtheroad]

Our shop works mostly in waterbase finishing and we do a lot of glaze work.  Glazes are translucent and have a longer open time and are meant to be manipulated with brushes, graining tools, rags/plastic sheeting, or anything that helps you achieve the look you want.

Here is a simplified schedule of what we might do, using waterbase materials.

After the wood is stained, we spray on two coats of sealer, let dry, then lightly sand out nibs.

Apply the glaze with a brush (chip brushes are OK). With approximately a 3-4 foot square piece of loosely wadded up cheesecloth or lint-free cotton fabric, the glaze is manipulated by being blotted, fluffed, and wiped off using an artistic eye. A special brush called a badger blender is lightly tickled over the surface in a very quick back-and-forth motion to blend/blur the glaze and to remove any hint as to what tool was used.

Keep a spray bottle with water handy to lightly dampen the cheesecloth. It can also be used to lightly mist the work area if the glaze is drying too fast to be manipulated. Work in sections and apply glaze in a small enough area to allow it to be worked without drying too fast. If the weather conditions are very dry, it can be very hard to work the glaze. Retarders/extenders are available to enhance the open time. Sometimes its just best to wait for more favorable humidity conditions if the technique you are using is difficult or detailed. Keep excess glaze from building up on the badger blender by periodically wiping off on cheesecloth. We may do more than 1 layer of glazing to create the effect we want or to enhance the depth. Protect each layer with a coat of sealer and when done, topcoat with clear coats to build protection and enhance your artwork.

We use Golden's Acrylic Glazes and clear Acrylic Glazing Liquid which can be custom-colored with acrylic paints, universal tints, and/or dyes. Their Asphaltum glaze is great to achieve an old "dirty" look.
Golden glazes

A few of the colors most useful for wood finishes are available at Target Coatings or can be found elsewhere on the Web.

Here is a badger blender

Glazing examples of our work. (All work done by Mark Ellis Studio.)

Stained and glazed kitchen refinish. Original finish was 1980's golden oak.
[attachthumb=1]before
[attachthumb=2]after
[attachthumb=3]complete

 

[downtheroad]

Maple built-in finished by our studio several years ago and needed to be changed to fit new decor scheme.
Glaze was used to darken/change the color, enhance mouldings/carvings, and also to create the faux Macassar ebony stenciled upper doors.
[attachthumb=1]before
[attachthumb=2]after
[attachthumb=3]door close-up

 

[downtheroad]

Painted white mantel was doing nothing to enhance the carved details. We painted it metallic gold and glazed it to give it a cast bronze look.
[attachthumb=1]close-up
[attachthumb=2]finished

 

[robtonya]

Amazing Tony! I almost think I might be in over my head now, but I will give it a shot. I was also looking at some dark grain filler. I thought that would show the grain over the stain, then glaze the small details in the wood to make it look older. Sound good?

 

[downtheroad]

I almost think I might be in over my head now, but I will give it a shot. I was also looking at some dark grain filler. I thought that would show the grain over the stain, then glaze the small details in the wood to make it look older. Sound good?

Rob, Give it a try. Glazing can really make some projects look great.

After sealing the stain, apply the dark grain filler (we would use a waterborne filler). Sealing before the filler will allow it to be in the pores only and not muddy your wood surface. Then seal again and go on to glazing. Should work out just fine.

Professional badger blending brushes can be expensive, but I've seen cheaper imitation badger blenders for under $40. Even seen them at Lowe's.

 

[Qwas]

Rob, If you want a good book on finishes try "Great Wood Finishes" by Jeff Jewitt. He spends 11 pages on glazing. He has alot of other great information in there too.

Glazing looks and sounds too tough for something I want to tackle.

 

[robtonya]

You might check out this site, they carry glazes and offer great info.
http://www.homesteadfinishing.com/

I ordered the Bartley dark wood paste filler. Thanks.

 

[robtonya]

Rob, If you want a good book on finishes try "Great Wood Finishes" by Jeff Jewitt. He spends 11 pages on glazing. He has alot of other great information in there too.

Glazing looks and sounds too tough for something I want to tackle.

I will do a search for this book. I was wanting to get one. Most everyone I talk to seems to be trial and error. The guy at wood craft suggest I try to color danish oil. I tried it, but no luck. The one thing that did look promising was a java colored gel stain. I'll post some pictures when I get the look right.

 

[tvgordon]

The General Finishes Java gel stain is what I thought of when I saw the photo you posted.  I didn't mention it because you said you wanted to stain and glaze.

Try it and let me know what you think, I think it will be real close to the look you want.

Tom.

 

[robtonya]

One thing I am unsure about is that you need to seal it between coats? I bought a sanding sealer, and I've got the general finish arm r seal, their oil and urethane mix.

Also this is what I am going to try when my grain filler comes in:

First coat is going to be a light cherry color
next will be a seal on that stain
then the dark wood grain filler
sand that smooth (I suppose I should sand by hand on the oak veneered ply wood, any tips?)
Next will be the darker mahogony stain (it is darker than the first stain, but I hope the lighter coat underneath will make a difference)
next will be to seal that, but not to get the seal in every nook and cranny, mostly on the top.
then work the java gel stain in the nooks and crannys of it, but wiping off the extra
finally a poly coat over all of it.

How does this sound? any red flags waving here? I need to get that book that Qwas suggested.

 

[downtheroad]

One thing I am unsure about is that you need to seal it between coats? I bought a sanding sealer, and I've got the general finish arm r seal, their oil and urethane mix.

This may not be a problem for you but sometimes the solvents in a hand applied layer can redissolve/soften your previous color coat enough to disturb the look. Make samples and test every step. Spraying your sealer is more forgiving if this is a problem. Do you have access to spraying equipment?

Is your sanding sealer compatible with the other products? In our shop, we like to use Zinsser's SealCoat over any oil-based stains/glazes or as a barrier to help seal in any previous contaminants when refinishing. The SealCoat is a dewaxed shellac and makes an excellent barrier coat.  We thin it with denatured alcohol approx. 30-35% to make a thin wash coat that we spray on in a thin coat. If you are using waterborne stains/glazes, a waterborne sealer would be good. We use General Finishes' Enduro Sanding Sealer. It sands really easily.

next will be to seal that, but not to get the seal in every nook and cranny, mostly on the top.

Don't worry about keeping the sealer out of the crevices. The glaze will still stay in the low spots and also add color to the surfaces. Just wipe back as much as you desire.

then the dark wood grain filler
sand that smooth (I suppose I should sand by hand on the oak veneered ply wood, any tips?)

It is too easy to burn through any applied color layers with a power sander. Light hand sanding with 320 or finer allows you to easily see your progress and hopefully not go too far.

Again, make samples and test everything. Make sure you are happy with the finished look before you start on your project piece. The stains and gel stains may have enough resins in them to lock them to the surface and not be easily disturbed when applying another layer. Testing will let you know.

 

[Eli]

Thanks for all the info Tony and everybody. Good leads on glazes and technique. I'm going to give some a try I think. Rob, keep us updated so we can see how it goes. Tony, any chance of a tutorial?

 

[robtonya]

Thanks for all the info Tony and everybody. Good leads on glazes and technique. I'm going to give some a try I think. Rob, keep us updated so we can see how it goes. Tony, any chance of a tutorial?

Yep, I will let you know how it goes. Thanks Tony it all sounds good. I do not have access to any spray equipment, and all the stains and sealers I bought are all oil based.

 

[downtheroad]

Thanks for all the info Tony and everybody. Good leads on glazes and technique. I'm going to give some a try I think. Rob, keep us updated so we can see how it goes. Tony, any chance of a tutorial?

Yep, I will let you know how it goes. Thanks Tony it all sounds good. I do not have access to any spray equipment, and all the stains and sealers I bought are all oil based.

Thanks Eli and Rob,
You really just need to get out in the shop and do it. Everyone develops their own style and techniques depending on what looks good to them. Once you get started, you may want to go to furniture showrooms and see some of the finishes that come out of the factories. You'll start seeing things you like and recognize what a bad glazing job looks like when you see it (wiping/brush streaks that are too evident, drips, etc.). Rob, the type of glazing you are trying first (darkness and depth to highlight the mouldings and corners) is probably the easiest and most forgiving to learn. Have fun with it and keep us posted. When I get some time, I will try to put together a tutorial.

 

[polarsea1]

Tony, your work is inspirational, thanks for the tutorial I'm going to try it. Everything seems to be figured wood right now, I think it's way overdone and frankly getting boring.  (not to mention expensive)

 

[Dave Ronyak]

Tony,

I think it's time for you to write your own book.  Fantastic work!!

Qwas,

Thanks for the tip on Jeff Jewitt's book.  Sounds like a good reference to have.

I met Jeff [without realizing it at first even though I had read some of his articles in FWW] when I went to pickup my first purchases of some Target Coatings (Oxford brand) WB shellac and lacquer, based on Jerry Work's recommendations.

Dave R.

 

[robtonya]

I'm not too happy with my progress thus far. I probably won't be posting pictures of this. I'm not getting the look I want, but it will be good enough for the bathroom vanity.