I am building a QSWO bookcase, with a mission stain. I hate the thought of
paying for QSWO shelves when they really won't be seen anyhow. Is it
reasonable to stain red oak to fit in with white oak?
Anyone with experience care to relate what he did?

I just built a walnut bookcase. For the shelves I used red oak plywood with
a 1" strip of walnut in front. I originally intended to stain the oak to
"match" the walnut, but the contrast looked pretty good, so I went with it.
Could do the same with unstained red oak and mission QSWO. Any comments?

Suanne Lippman wrote:
I am building a QSWO bookcase, with a mission stain. I hate the thought of
paying for QSWO shelves when they really won't be seen anyhow. Is it
reasonable to stain red oak to fit in with white oak?
Anyone with experience care to relate what he did?

If you can match up the appearance you're a lot better than I will ever
be. :-) But maybe that's not saying much...

Get some scrap from the same project and try it... What the heck.

I just built a walnut bookcase. For the shelves I used red oak plywoodwith
a 1" strip of walnut in front. I originally intended to stain the oak to
"match" the walnut, but the contrast looked pretty good, so I went withit.
Could do the same with unstained red oak and mission QSWO. Any comments?

Done that a few times myself -- I like the contrast as well.





--
Will R.
Jewel Boxes and Wood Art
http://woodwork.pmccl.com
The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those
who have not got it.” George Bernard Shaw

"Suanne Lippman" wrote in message
...
I am building a QSWO bookcase, with a mission stain. I hate the thought of
paying for QSWO shelves when they really won't be seen anyhow. Is it
reasonable to stain red oak to fit in with white oak?
Anyone with experience care to relate what he did?

I do it often when I am going to stain the wood. IMHO it looks fine.


I just built a walnut bookcase. For the shelves I used red oak plywood
with a 1" strip of walnut in front. I originally intended to stain the
oak to "match" the walnut, but the contrast looked pretty good, so I went
with it. Could do the same with unstained red oak and mission QSWO. Any
comments?

When there is a bigger contrast it tends to fine. With white and red oak
the color would be a bit strange as the red will tend to go from whitish to
pinkish and white tends to be white. If staining I doubt you would ever
notice. Left with a clear finish I would go with more contrast or the exact
same wood. I would probably go with a cheaper cut of white oak on the
shelves.

"Suanne Lippman" wrote in message
I am building a QSWO bookcase, with a mission stain. I hate the thought
of
paying for QSWO shelves when they really won't be seen anyhow. Is it
reasonable to stain red oak to fit in with white oak?
Anyone with experience care to relate what he did?

I just built a walnut bookcase. For the shelves I used red oak plywood
with
a 1" strip of walnut in front. I originally intended to stain the oak to
"match" the walnut, but the contrast looked pretty good, so I went with
it.
Could do the same with unstained red oak and mission QSWO. Any comments?

I wouldn't worry too much about it since you're staining.

While you're at it, and because the long edge grain of quarter sawn lumber
is visually distinctive to those who use it a lot, when you go through the
stack of red oak, look for quarter sawn for your shelves ... if it hasn't
been picked over. you can generally find some in every stack.

That should make you feel better about mixing the woods, while making your
shelves a bit more dimensionally stable, and perhaps even fooling a few who
would otherwise object on general principles.

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 12/13/05

Suanne Lippman wrote:
I am building a QSWO bookcase, with a mission stain. I hate the thought of
paying for QSWO shelves when they really won't be seen anyhow. Is it
reasonable to stain red oak to fit in with white oak?------

Could do the same with unstained red oak and mission QSWO. Any comments?
-----

Go for it, the thing will be full of books anyway. The difference in
the color will be minimal.

"Suanne Lippman" wrote in message
...
I am building a QSWO bookcase, with a mission stain. I hate the thought of
paying for QSWO shelves when they really won't be seen anyhow. Is it
reasonable to stain red oak to fit in with white oak?
Anyone with experience care to relate what he did?

I just built a walnut bookcase. For the shelves I used red oak plywood
with a 1" strip of walnut in front. I originally intended to stain the
oak to "match" the walnut, but the contrast looked pretty good, so I went
with it. Could do the same with unstained red oak and mission QSWO. Any
comments?
Two ideas.
1st - Veneer the shelves with QSWO.
2nd - Add a 2-3" board in the front of the shelve as you did on the walnut
shelve.

Question: Mission stain, is that a fumed look? If so, I would definitely
veneer, if its a wipe on stain, either way will look fine.

Dave



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On Tue, 20 Dec 2005 02:14:17 GMT, "Suanne Lippman"
wrote:

Is it reasonable to stain red oak to fit in with white oak?

The only way to really know is to stain up some samples first. If you're
using a fairly brutal commercial stain then they'll match well enough.
If you're planning to fume it, you wouldn't have a hope. I expect you'll
find it a perfectly acceptable match.

"Suanne Lippman" wrote in message
...
I am building a QSWO bookcase, with a mission stain. I hate the thought of
paying for QSWO shelves when they really won't be seen anyhow. Is it
reasonable to stain red oak to fit in with white oak?
Anyone with experience care to relate what he did?

I just built a walnut bookcase. For the shelves I used red oak plywood
with a 1" strip of walnut in front. I originally intended to stain the
oak to "match" the walnut, but the contrast looked pretty good, so I went
with it. Could do the same with unstained red oak and mission QSWO. Any
comments?


It'll never match. Which brings up the question of whether the shelves will
be exposed - display shelves - or covered with books. If covered with
books, get white plywood for closer color. You've either got to have real
close or real contrast. Red oak is neither.

Andy Dingley wrote:

If you're using a fairly brutal commercial stain

Could you expand on this? Brutal commercial stain? As opposed to what?
I'm interested in more of your thoughts on stain.

"Joe Barta" wrote in message
.. .
Andy Dingley wrote:

If you're using a fairly brutal commercial stain

Could you expand on this? Brutal commercial stain? As opposed to what?
I'm interested in more of your thoughts on stain.

The stain usually found on furniture in furniture stores. The kind with the
fruit wood finish and fly spot all over it. The kind that hides the wood so
that you really do not know what you are getting. The kind that is usually
very dark.

Instead of one that is lighter and still lets the natural beauty of the wood
shine through.

Leon wrote:

Instead of one that is lighter and still lets the natural beauty
of the wood shine through.


I see what you mean. Thank-you.

On Tue, 20 Dec 2005 13:37:42 GMT, Joe Barta wrote:

Andy Dingley wrote:

If you're using a fairly brutal commercial stain

Could you expand on this? Brutal commercial stain? As opposed to what?

I'm a bit of a stain Nazi when it comes to oak. I never stain it - I'm a
big fan of ammonia fuming and use it on nearly all my oak (which is most
of my cabinetry). One of the drawbacks of fuming is that it does tend
to vary between boards - and for white/red oak the difference is
substantial.

If you're staining it, then a stain for "mission" can vary between light
to near-Jacobean with black grain-filling wax too. The darker end of
this scale will hide anything.

On Wed, 21 Dec 2005 00:58:24 +0000, with neither quill nor qualm, Andy
Dingley quickly quoth:

On Tue, 20 Dec 2005 13:37:42 GMT, Joe Barta wrote:

Andy Dingley wrote:

If you're using a fairly brutal commercial stain

Could you expand on this? Brutal commercial stain? As opposed to what?

I'm a bit of a stain Nazi when it comes to oak. I never stain it - I'm a
big fan of ammonia fuming and use it on nearly all my oak (which is most
of my cabinetry). One of the drawbacks of fuming is that it does tend
to vary between boards - and for white/red oak the difference is
substantial.

If you're staining it, then a stain for "mission" can vary between light
to near-Jacobean with black grain-filling wax too. The darker end of
this scale will hide anything.

....so why not just have him use pineywood? He'll prolly just smear
poly all over it anyway. Why waste good wood for that? groan


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