Black Finish for Oak Desk?

[Edward Garrett]

I am in the final stages of building a desk for myself out of white oak, and I am trying to plan for the finish via spray-finishing. This will be my first attempt at spray finishing, and after searching/reading this forum (as well as a couple of books on the topic) I contacted Jeff Jewitt and just placed an order for the QualSpray QS-600WB (my very first spray gun). In discussing the finish I wanted with Jeff he suggested I search "ebonizing oak" for ideas; however, I am not sure that what I found is what I want....

The finish I am after is a somewhat distressed black finish that will show the grain of the oak while at the same time will be durable enough for the wear-and-tear of a typical compter station (laptops, printers, writing, etc.). I have considered Magnalac vs. Minwax ebony stain w/polyurethane vs. india ink w/shellac.....sanding sealer or no sanding sealer....all to end up a bit confused on the best approach for a beginning spray-finisher like me .

Any suggestions or hints from some of you well-seasoned folks out there?

Thanks in advance for any advice....

[Prashun Patel]

I've had luck with aniline black dye in water, then shellacked, then top coated. You really don't even need the shellac, though, if the top is oil-based.

[Phil Phelps]

Edward, many years ago I bought a Pioneer big screen TV that was cased in oak and finished black. I needed an open cabinet to sit on top of the TV, so I built it out of white oak and painted it with black lacquer. It matched perfectly with "lots" of grain showing through. You can use black dye, as suggested, but I'd finish it with satin lacquer. It couldn't be eaiser.

[John Keeton]

I have no experience with this, but a recent issue of Popular WW had an article by Brian Boggs on ebonizing oak with a fairly simple procedure, and there was a thread recently in the projects forum on a sword display by Jimmy Williams on which he used india ink.

[Edward Garrett]

Thanks guys - great guidance and feedback....much much appreciated!!

[Joe Cunningham]

Pop Woodworking have the Brian Boggs article for free on their website.

Not sure I can post the link (SMC rules regarding this are still baffling to me), but here it is anyway.

http://popularwoodworking.com/article/Ebonizing_Wood

If a mod removes it, go to their website under "Popular Woodworking Magazine" which lists the most recent articles.

[jay case]

please dont do black. that is such and ugly finish and an insult to those who love wood

[Prashun Patel]

please dont do black. that is such and ugly finish and an insult to those who love wood

Hmmm, while I respect your opinion, I have to disagree. It's application-specific. A well-applied finish to me is as beautiful and as much a statement about the quality of the piece as the underlying wood is.

That goes for ANY finish - even paint (For me, at least).

[Edward Garrett]

please dont do black. that is such and ugly finish and an insult to those who love wood

Despite your convincing and powerful argument Jay, it will be black...and I do not think it will be an ugly finish (and I happen to be one of those people who love wood, too).

[John Keeton]

please dont do black. that is such and ugly finish and an insult to those who love wood

Jay, I hate to join the forces in opposition to your suggestion, but though you disagree, the finish and overall contrasting impact of the chair done by Brian Boggs is strikingly beautiful to me.
ebonizing_open.jpg

Others may disagree, but that is probably good. If we all liked the same thing life would be boring - and the price of ebonizing materials would be outrageous!

[Joe Cunningham]

Despite your convincing and powerful argument Jay, it will be black...and I do not think it will be an ugly finish (and I happen to be one of those people who love wood, too).

I think it will look great. I plan to get some of the bark powder Brian mentions in that article to try out. I already have a steel and vinegar solution and am making an oak coffee table (slowly) this summer. While the tanins in the oak ought to be enough based on what I've read, it seems like that bark powder solution might make things easier to control.

[Brendan Guyot]

More info
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=101634

Brendan

[Casey Gooding]

Second for the black lacquer. Super easy and basically one step. You will need to do the distressing on your own, but then that's the fun part.

[Scott Holmes]

Please do yourself a favor; ... practice with you spray technique before you tackle your project.
The learning curve isn't too bad if you use the proper techniques.

[Edward Garrett]

Well, I finished my new desk and completed my first "forray" into the world of spray finishing with my new QualSpray HVLP gun....and I LOVED IT!!
The finish I finally chose is two coats of Maganlac Black Satin (thinned 25%), then - after the distressing/sanding process - two coats of Magnalac Clear Satin (thinned 20%).

Attached are a few pictures of the finished product, and while I certainly have a lot to continue to learn and improve, I am very pleased with the result - the distressed look, exposure of the grain and durability of the finish is just what I had in mind (although I did get a bit carried-away with the distressing in one or two spots). The process itself was so much quicker and satisfying than hand-finishing....I may never go back!!

THANK YOU to all for your insight and guidance.....and please feel free to share any critique on the attached pictures - I am looking forward to continuing my way up the spray-finishing learning curve!