White Oak: Recommended Stain

[Patrick Britt]

I am about to finish a front door and I am asking for some recommendations on stain or a clear coat. I am torn between keeping the natural color and just darkening it up a bit.

Also, how do I prevent my oak from splitting on the ends when it sometimes takes me awhile to finish a door/project?

Thanks in Advance.

Patrick Britt

[Frank Drew]

Patrick,

I generally prefer dyes to stains for clarity of color, but some dyes aren't very lightfast so it might depend on whether the door will get direct sunlight. Actually, I generally prefer clear coating to either dyeing or staining, but sometimes, as you say, a little darker might be called for (by the client, the wife, whoever).

Correctly dried wood generally shouldn't check or crack on the ends just sitting in your shop, so your experience might have been with wood that was still a bit wet; wood's a bear, though, so if something bad can happen, it just might.

I found that it generally pays to bring your wood for a project into your shop some weeks before working it up in order to give it time to adjust to an indoor environment. As insurance, you could daub a bit of finish on the end grain after crosscutting, though, to see if that helps slow down moisture loss through the endgrain and subsequent checking. Just a thought.

[Josh Bowman]

I feel you can't go wrong with Minwax Special Walnut. I've been through lots of it on oak and it really lights up the grain.

[Scott T Smith]

I've had good success with McFadden's Golden Oak Gel Stain.

[Don Dorn]

Obviously all kinds of ideas. I use prodominately White Oak for all home furniture and my wife uses Minwax Golden Oak stain with appropriate coats of poly as a clear coat. She must like it because once she found that combination, she hasn't changed it and there are at least 20 pieces of White Oak furniture throughout the house.

[Michael MacDonald]

Patrick -- I used watco danish oil on this bench made of white oak.

http://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.p...91122#poststop

then I put a few coats of sikkens cetol marine varnish on it (don't have that pic with me). the varnish was a little too orange. i would recommend sikkens door and window--I think that is clear. I love the look of the danish oil on white oak, though... might make a nice door.

Regards,
Michael