Staining Oak a dark red?

[Andy Maldoror]

i'm building an oak case for a client and he wants it stained a dark red-brown.
I have to get the project complete a week from today..wednesday and i still have to order the finishing supplies...so i need to get the order in tonight or in the morn.

i haven't done much staining..only oil finishes and shellacs.
i'm thinking of ordering the trans-tint reddish brown and maybe a wipe on poly...

what do i do to level out the grain to get a consistent color. the sample of the finish he showed me was a maple with a dark red finish. so basically i need to get the contrast down.

any advice on that? can i get it done with the red-brown transtint and a poly or is there something more i need to order?

thanks for the help,
andy

[Scott Holmes]

Red oak or white oak?

Big differentce the way they stain. Red oaks porous grain gets pretty intense where as the late wood takes on a lot less color.

Dye can be sprayed to a very even color, no wiping needed.

Using TransTint dyes with water raises the grain of the oak. Using it with denatured alcohol does not.

[Andy Maldoror]

red oak.
is it common to add water or oil stains over trans-tints? are there any other combinations i should explore?
i have some wipe on poly...i think watco. will that do for the top coat?

[Chris Padilla]

I've had great success with Behlen's NGR dyes, sponged on but spraying is always the best for uniformity--these are water soluable dyes in alcohol so that they do not raise the grain (Non Grain Raising). You may consider a highly-thinned coat (1/2# to 1# cut) of shellac sprayed as a sealer coat. It will help stop up the pores a bit and allow more even penetration of the dye.