I'm fixin' to sculpture some stair treads from some rough cut red oak i
practically stole from an Amish auction ( 85 cents per BF). What i need
to know is what finish i can use that meets the following criteria:

1. not water based poly
2. natural (as clear as oil based can do)
3. not too slick to sock feet

Things that don't matter:

1. odor while applying
2. cost
3. time takes to finish properly

thanks in advance! ,
--
Steve Barker
remove the "not" from my address to email

So I am particular to shellac.
I would do blonde or super blonde dewaxed shellac since you want it as
clear as possible.

That will still help pop the grain.

As far as not too slick. That can be mitigated with sanding after, with
any finish.

Other advantages, in one day you can get 4 coats done. Fast drying so
less dust nubs.
Low odor.

On 2/18/2012 4:42 PM, Steve Barker wrote:
I'm fixin' to sculpture some stair treads from some rough cut red oak i
practically stole from an Amish auction ( 85 cents per BF). What i need
to know is what finish i can use that meets the following criteria:

1. not water based poly
2. natural (as clear as oil based can do)
3. not too slick to sock feet

Things that don't matter:

1. odor while applying
2. cost
3. time takes to finish properly

thanks in advance! ,

On 2/18/2012 4:07 PM, tiredofspam wrote:
So I am particular to shellac.
I would do blonde or super blonde dewaxed shellac since you want it as
clear as possible.

That will still help pop the grain.

As far as not too slick. That can be mitigated with sanding after, with
any finish.

Other advantages, in one day you can get 4 coats done. Fast drying so
less dust nubs.
Low odor.

thanks for the reply. I've never even touched a speck of shellac, but i
must admit after reading all the stuff on this group, my curiosity is
sparked.

On Feb 18, 9:14*pm, Steve Barker wrote:
On 2/18/2012 4:07 PM, tiredofspam wrote:

So I am particular to shellac.
I would do blonde or super blonde dewaxed shellac since you want it as
clear as possible.

That will still help pop the grain.

As far as not too slick. That can be mitigated with sanding after, with
any finish.

Other advantages, in one day you can get 4 coats done. Fast drying so
less dust nubs.
Low odor.

thanks for the reply. *I've never even touched a speck of shellac, but i
must admit after reading all the stuff on this group, my curiosity is
sparked.

Shellac is soft and mars easily. Not suitable for stairs IMHO. I would
use 1 coat BLO to pop the grain, one coat zinsser "seal coat " shellac
for sanding seal and 3-4 coats water poly after. The BLO and shellac
will make the oak beautiful and then the water poly won't give the
lifeless look it would without the 2 steps before it. I do it all the
time with kitchens and such and the look is fabulous.
Amish red oak sounds like it is ~not~ kiln dried. I would be sure it
is KD for stair treads.

RP

Wow, shellac soft?
I don't think so. It is very hard once fully cured.

On 2/19/2012 8:15 AM, RP wrote:
On Feb 18, 9:14 pm, Steve wrote:
On 2/18/2012 4:07 PM, tiredofspam wrote:

So I am particular to shellac.
I would do blonde or super blonde dewaxed shellac since you want it as
clear as possible.

That will still help pop the grain.

As far as not too slick. That can be mitigated with sanding after, with
any finish.

Other advantages, in one day you can get 4 coats done. Fast drying so
less dust nubs.
Low odor.

thanks for the reply. I've never even touched a speck of shellac, but i
must admit after reading all the stuff on this group, my curiosity is
sparked.

Shellac is soft and mars easily. Not suitable for stairs IMHO. I would
use 1 coat BLO to pop the grain, one coat zinsser "seal coat " shellac
for sanding seal and 3-4 coats water poly after. The BLO and shellac
will make the oak beautiful and then the water poly won't give the
lifeless look it would without the 2 steps before it. I do it all the
time with kitchens and such and the look is fabulous.
Amish red oak sounds like it is ~not~ kiln dried. I would be sure it
is KD for stair treads.

RP

tiredofspam nospam.nospam.com writes:
Wow, shellac soft?
I don't think so. It is very hard once fully cured.

It is considered a soft finish when compared to hard film finishes such
as polyurethane or spar varnish.

Shellac is not commonly recommended for high traffic areas for that
reason.

Shellac also doesn't tolerate alcohol spills well (but it does repair
easily).

I'd use a good poly for stairs, or a blo-spar-turps blend.

scott

On Feb 19, 10:53*am, tiredofspam nospam.nospam.com wrote:
Wow, shellac soft?
I don't think so. It is very hard once fully cured.


Still fairly soft even when fully cured compared to poly. Mars real
easy. Period. No need to reply. We got ~your~ message.

RP

On 2/19/2012 7:15 AM, RP wrote:
On Feb 18, 9:14 pm, Steve wrote:
On 2/18/2012 4:07 PM, tiredofspam wrote:

So I am particular to shellac.
I would do blonde or super blonde dewaxed shellac since you want it as
clear as possible.

That will still help pop the grain.

As far as not too slick. That can be mitigated with sanding after, with
any finish.

Other advantages, in one day you can get 4 coats done. Fast drying so
less dust nubs.
Low odor.

thanks for the reply. I've never even touched a speck of shellac, but i
must admit after reading all the stuff on this group, my curiosity is
sparked.

Shellac is soft and mars easily. Not suitable for stairs IMHO. I would
use 1 coat BLO to pop the grain, one coat zinsser "seal coat " shellac
for sanding seal and 3-4 coats water poly after. The BLO and shellac
will make the oak beautiful and then the water poly won't give the
lifeless look it would without the 2 steps before it. I do it all the
time with kitchens and such and the look is fabulous.
Amish red oak sounds like it is ~not~ kiln dried. I would be sure it
is KD for stair treads.

RP




no, not dried. But it's been sawn now for about 2+ years. In a garage,
up off the floor. Thanks for the suggestions.

--
Steve Barker
remove the "not" from my address to email

On 2/18/2012 3:42 PM, Steve Barker wrote:
I'm fixin' to sculpture some stair treads from some rough cut red oak i
practically stole from an Amish auction ( 85 cents per BF). What i need
to know is what finish i can use that meets the following criteria:

1. not water based poly
2. natural (as clear as oil based can do)
3. not too slick to sock feet

Things that don't matter:

1. odor while applying
2. cost
3. time takes to finish properly

thanks in advance! ,
You need a tough finish, shellac as mentioned would probably be a less
than desirable finish.

A lot of what you want is not going to be easily achieved.

You need a hard finish and a hard finish tends to be slippery.

To make a surface less slick you can mix in sand. but test with and with
out for desired results.

The clearest finish will be water based.

If you absolutely must have an oil based varnish consider General
Finishes Arm R Seal

http://www.generalfinishes.com/retai...base-top-coats


Simply put, you need to be careful on stairs. Solid wood stairs and
socked feet are going to add an element of risk.

Before poly, shellac was a common wood floor finish.
It was durable enough, dried quickly.

Shellac's downside is alcohol resistance.
As far as fixing spots, shellac beats them all. Why?
Because it repairs easily remelting the previous layers for repairs.
Lacquer does this too, but it requires more prep, and smells.

But yes, Poly is more durable. But can't be repaired. Poly won't stick
to long cured poly.

On 2/19/2012 9:46 AM, Leon wrote:
On 2/18/2012 3:42 PM, Steve Barker wrote:
I'm fixin' to sculpture some stair treads from some rough cut red oak i
practically stole from an Amish auction ( 85 cents per BF). What i need
to know is what finish i can use that meets the following criteria:

1. not water based poly
2. natural (as clear as oil based can do)
3. not too slick to sock feet

Things that don't matter:

1. odor while applying
2. cost
3. time takes to finish properly

thanks in advance! ,
You need a tough finish, shellac as mentioned would probably be a less
than desirable finish.

A lot of what you want is not going to be easily achieved.

You need a hard finish and a hard finish tends to be slippery.

To make a surface less slick you can mix in sand. but test with and with
out for desired results.

The clearest finish will be water based.

If you absolutely must have an oil based varnish consider General
Finishes Arm R Seal

http://www.generalfinishes.com/retai...base-top-coats


Simply put, you need to be careful on stairs. Solid wood stairs and
socked feet are going to add an element of risk.

On 2/19/2012 9:52 AM, tiredofspam wrote:
Before poly, shellac was a common wood floor finish.
It was durable enough, dried quickly.

Shellac's downside is alcohol resistance.
....

For flooring it's even bigger disadvantage is water resistance, so
particularly if this is in an entry area that's a consideration.

It is, as noted here and elsewhere, the traditional/historic floor
finish but there are reasons it was surpassed by the poly's and other
floor varnishes and that prime reason is wear.

The key item in choosing here imo would be how much traffic the area
will get and what kind...up and down once in the morning and then again
when go upstairs at night; not such a maintenance issue. Three kids,
two dogs and running up and down constantly; think again...

--

On 2/19/2012 10:29 AM, dpb wrote:
On 2/19/2012 9:52 AM, tiredofspam wrote:
Before poly, shellac was a common wood floor finish.
It was durable enough, dried quickly.

Shellac's downside is alcohol resistance.
...

For flooring it's even bigger disadvantage is water resistance, so
particularly if this is in an entry area that's a consideration.

It is, as noted here and elsewhere, the traditional/historic floor
finish but there are reasons it was surpassed by the poly's and other
floor varnishes and that prime reason is wear.

The key item in choosing here imo would be how much traffic the area
will get and what kind...up and down once in the morning and then again
when go upstairs at night; not such a maintenance issue. Three kids, two
dogs and running up and down constantly; think again...

--

two (almost) senior adults. Twice a day travel.

--
Steve Barker
remove the "not" from my address to email

Ok, Shellac can water spot, leave an ice cold glass on the floor
overnight and you probably will have a water spot.

As far as mopping, no problem.


Years ago someone did a scientific study on the supposed advantage of
poly over shellac... Well poly just nudged shellac, it really was such a
small margin on durability. Water testing showed poly was marginally
better. Which surprised everyone. All the hype. Shellac is a great
finish. But to those that believe poly rules... have at it. My wife kept
watering a plant on the poly floor. Major damage. No difference between
poly and shellac there.

My dog has destroyed our poly floor. My shellac floor was easily
repaired. The poly floor needs to be sanded all the way down, and
refinished.

I'll continue to use shellac... beauty, ease of application, ease of
maintenance, and nice to know that it is used on pills, so it is safe to
your system.

It is very hard, and therefore polishes beautifuly, buffs up to a high
polished finish, easily sands to a luster. Try that with poly.

On 2/19/2012 11:29 AM, dpb wrote:
On 2/19/2012 9:52 AM, tiredofspam wrote:
Before poly, shellac was a common wood floor finish.
It was durable enough, dried quickly.

Shellac's downside is alcohol resistance.
...

For flooring it's even bigger disadvantage is water resistance, so
particularly if this is in an entry area that's a consideration.

It is, as noted here and elsewhere, the traditional/historic floor
finish but there are reasons it was surpassed by the poly's and other
floor varnishes and that prime reason is wear.

The key item in choosing here imo would be how much traffic the area
will get and what kind...up and down once in the morning and then again
when go upstairs at night; not such a maintenance issue. Three kids, two
dogs and running up and down constantly; think again...

--

On 2/19/2012 1:03 PM, tiredofspam wrote:
Ok, Shellac can water spot, leave an ice cold glass on the floor
overnight and you probably will have a water spot.
....

Leave a wet shoe or a puddle from a snow melt off the kids' overshoes
and you _will_ have a white spot.

Fixed can be, yes...more likely to need fixing--also, yes.

--

On 2/19/2012 1:03 PM, tiredofspam wrote:

Years ago someone did a scientific study on the supposed advantage of
poly over shellac... Well poly just nudged shellac, it really was such a
small margin on durability. Water testing showed poly was marginally
better. Which surprised everyone. All the hype. Shellac is a great
finish. But to those that believe poly rules... have at it.

What's the difference in cost?

--
www.eWoodShop.com
Last update: 4/15/2010
KarlCaillouet@ (the obvious)
http://gplus.to/eWoodShop

On Feb 19, 1:03*pm, tiredofspam nospam.nospam.com wrote:

It is very hard, and therefore polishes beautifuly, buffs up to a high
polished finish, easily sands to a luster. Try that with poly.

If that wasn't rhetorical and you are interested in learning,

http://www.woodweb.com/knowledge_bas...igh_Gloss.html

There is a lot of info on how to do it, including articles and
opinions of luthiers and others that do just that.

There used to be a picture (may still be) on J. Jewitt's site of how
he polished his own waterborne poly to a mirror finish so fine you
could read the writing on the can of finish in the image reflection
from the table top.

Robert

On 2/18/2012 3:42 PM, Steve Barker wrote:
I'm fixin' to sculpture some stair treads from some rough cut red oak i
practically stole from an Amish auction ( 85 cents per BF). What i need
to know is what finish i can use that meets the following criteria:

1. not water based poly
2. natural (as clear as oil based can do)
3. not too slick to sock feet

What all sane floor finishers use ... polyurethane. Follow the
instructions on the can.

--
www.eWoodShop.com
Last update: 4/15/2010
KarlCaillouet@ (the obvious)
http://gplus.to/eWoodShop

What all finishers used to use before POLY? Shellac.


On 2/19/2012 10:31 AM, Swingman wrote:
On 2/18/2012 3:42 PM, Steve Barker wrote:
I'm fixin' to sculpture some stair treads from some rough cut red oak i
practically stole from an Amish auction ( 85 cents per BF). What i need
to know is what finish i can use that meets the following criteria:

1. not water based poly
2. natural (as clear as oil based can do)
3. not too slick to sock feet

What all sane floor finishers use ... polyurethane. Follow the
instructions on the can.

On 2/19/2012 9:54 AM, tiredofspam wrote:

What all finishers used to use before POLY? Shellac.

Not necessarily ... plain old wax was a finish of choice for floor
finishing at one time.

FWIW, at this point you have well established that you are a proponent
of shellac for hardwood floors ... no need to reply to every post that
says otherwise ... you can quit now.

--
www.eWoodShop.com
Last update: 4/15/2010
KarlCaillouet@ (the obvious)
http://gplus.to/eWoodShop

On 2/19/2012 10:15 AM, Swingman wrote:
On 2/19/2012 9:54 AM, tiredofspam wrote:

What all finishers used to use before POLY? Shellac.

Not necessarily ... plain old wax was a finish of choice for floor finishing at
one time.

FWIW, at this point you have well established that you are a proponent of
shellac for hardwood floors ... no need to reply to every post that says
otherwise ... you can quit now.

I seem to recall regular ol' alkyd resin varnish being around for quite a few
years before poly hit the scene. Pretty much the same stuff as today's "Rock
Hard Tabletop Varnish", if I'm not mistaken.

--
Any given amount of traffic flow, no matter how
sparse, will expand to fill all available lanes.
To reply, eat the taco.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboyee/

On Feb 19, 12:01*pm, Steve Turner
wrote:
On 2/19/2012 10:15 AM, Swingman wrote:

On 2/19/2012 9:54 AM, tiredofspam wrote:

What all finishers used to use before POLY? Shellac.

Not necessarily ... plain old wax was a finish of choice for floor finishing at
one time.

FWIW, at this point you have well established that you are a proponent of
shellac for hardwood floors ... no need to reply to every post that says
otherwise ... you can quit now.

I seem to recall regular ol' alkyd resin varnish being around for quite a few
years before poly hit the scene. *Pretty much the same stuff as today's "Rock
Hard Tabletop Varnish", if I'm not mistaken.

Behlen's Rock Hard = phenolic resin. Nice stuff.

"Swingman" wrote in message
...
On 2/19/2012 9:54 AM, tiredofspam wrote:

What all finishers used to use before POLY? Shellac.

Not necessarily ... plain old wax was a finish of choice for floor
finishing at one time.

And before that... nothing! Bare wood was typical in the 18th century and
much of the 19th here in America. BLO was was pretty common too.

John

Just trying to beat the thing to death. Many misconceptions about shellac.

On 2/19/2012 11:15 AM, Swingman wrote:
On 2/19/2012 9:54 AM, tiredofspam wrote:

What all finishers used to use before POLY? Shellac.

Not necessarily ... plain old wax was a finish of choice for floor
finishing at one time.

FWIW, at this point you have well established that you are a proponent
of shellac for hardwood floors ... no need to reply to every post that
says otherwise ... you can quit now.

On 2/19/2012 1:07 PM, tiredofspam wrote:
Just trying to beat the thing to death. Many misconceptions about shellac.

So far I haven't find a flooring contractor who will warrant a shellac
floor finish like they will their recommended finish product, which for
many years now has always been a polyurethane.

That said, you're preaching at the choir in most respects ... my finish
of choice, for just about everything I build in the shop, excluding
kitchen cabinets (and floors), is indeed shellac.

--
www.eWoodShop.com
Last update: 4/15/2010
KarlCaillouet@ (the obvious)
http://gplus.to/eWoodShop

On Sun, 19 Feb 2012 10:15:43 -0600, Swingman wrote:

On 2/19/2012 9:54 AM, tiredofspam wrote:

What all finishers used to use before POLY? Shellac.

Not necessarily ... plain old wax was a finish of choice for floor
finishing at one time.

Waxing and rewaxing was a real, time-consuming chore back in the day.

Now, both water-borne & oil-based polys and polycrylics are used.
Flooring is the one area I won't argue that poly is best.

I've used Future floor wax (acrylic) for decades now, but on lino
flooring. I have carpeting everywhere but the kitchen. Commercial
Indoor/Outdoor went into the bathroom. It's much warmer and nicer for
those nocturnal jaunts down the hall, knowwhatImean,Vern?


FWIW, at this point you have well established that you are a proponent
of shellac for hardwood floors ... no need to reply to every post that
says otherwise ... you can quit now.

Maybe that's his sig or sumpin'? (He's filtered here.)

--
The ultimate result of shielding men from folly
is to fill the world with fools.
-- Herbert Spencer

tiredofspam nospam.nospam.com writes:

On 2/19/2012 10:31 AM, Swingman wrote:
On 2/18/2012 3:42 PM, Steve Barker wrote:
I'm fixin' to sculpture some stair treads from some rough cut red oak i
practically stole from an Amish auction ( 85 cents per BF). What i need
to know is what finish i can use that meets the following criteria:

1. not water based poly
2. natural (as clear as oil based can do)
3. not too slick to sock feet

What all sane floor finishers use ... polyurethane. Follow the
instructions on the can.

What all finishers used to use before POLY? Shellac.

So why did they switch to POLY? Because shellac is inferior
for that application.

scott

Maybe, or rather than buy lac from India, they can manufacture it right
here. Yes it is marginally stronger, but given all the downsides.. it is
marginal...

Have you tried Shellac on a floor?

On 2/19/2012 12:24 PM, Scott Lurndal wrote:
tiredofspamnospam.nospam.com writes:

On 2/19/2012 10:31 AM, Swingman wrote:
On 2/18/2012 3:42 PM, Steve Barker wrote:
I'm fixin' to sculpture some stair treads from some rough cut red oak i
practically stole from an Amish auction ( 85 cents per BF). What i need
to know is what finish i can use that meets the following criteria:

1. not water based poly
2. natural (as clear as oil based can do)
3. not too slick to sock feet

What all sane floor finishers use ... polyurethane. Follow the
instructions on the can.

What all finishers used to use before POLY? Shellac.

So why did they switch to POLY? Because shellac is inferior
for that application.

scott

On Feb 18, 3:42*pm, Steve Barker wrote:
I'm fixin' to sculpture some stair treads from some rough cut red oak i
practically stole from an Amish auction ( 85 cents per BF). *What i need
to know is what finish i can use that meets the following criteria:

1. not water based poly
2. natural (as clear as oil based can do)
3. not too slick to sock feet

Things that don't matter:

1. odor while applying
2. cost
3. time takes to finish properly

thanks in advance! ,
--
Steve Barker
remove the "not" from my address to email

Here is what we did, partially at the suggestion of an area wood floor
manufacturer:

1) Using pre-made Red Oak treads we sanded to desired surface prior to
installation. and covered them with cardboard as they were installed.
2) Applied one coat of MinWax Natural stain which was recommended by
the floor manufacturer to match the flooring we had previously
purchased.
3) Applied three fairly heavy coats of MinWax Satin Poly with some
sanding between coats.

I know the word MinWax drives some of the folks here to distraction
but, again, this was the floor manufacturer's recommendation. They
use a higher class of finish on their hardwood flooring but this is
the process they recommended for a contractor and homeowner. They
also steered me away from using MinWax floor finish because it was
more costly and provided no real wear advantage. Apparently it does
dry faster. The odor is what you expect from the MinWax products
mentioned. We were able to put two coats of finish on one day and the
third the second day. Then stayed off of it, with shoes, for another
day.

The color we ended up with is a great match for the flooring. We did
the first half of the staircase about 2-1/2 to 3 years ago when we
were finishing the house. We followed up last spring with the bottom
half which is at an angle to the upper part (as part of the basement
finish). after the two year or so time lapse the two stair sections
are perfectly matched, and we have seen no appreciable wear on the
first half.

BTW - Don't varnish you way into the basement or upper floor! (not
that I would) :O)

RonB

"Steve Barker" wrote in message
...
I'm fixin' to sculpture some stair treads from some rough cut red oak i
practically stole from an Amish auction ( 85 cents per BF). What i need
to know is what finish i can use that meets the following criteria:

1. not water based poly
2. natural (as clear as oil based can do)
3. not too slick to sock feet

Things that don't matter:

1. odor while applying
2. cost
3. time takes to finish properly

thanks in advance! ,
--
Steve Barker
remove the "not" from my address to email

Personally, red oak with a clear finish is an ugly wood, and it turns orange
in time as light ages it. I would first do something to adjust the color to
something more pleasing to the eye then coat it with a very durable finish.
Stairs get a lot of abuse, more than most floor areas, most of the wear is
concentrated in the middle and front of the the tread, and it will wear very
quickly if it is not finished properly. Shellac is great but it won't last
very long.

On 2/20/2012 9:56 PM, EXT wrote:

"Steve Barker" wrote in message
...
I'm fixin' to sculpture some stair treads from some rough cut red oak
i practically stole from an Amish auction ( 85 cents per BF). What i
need to know is what finish i can use that meets the following criteria:

1. not water based poly
2. natural (as clear as oil based can do)
3. not too slick to sock feet

Things that don't matter:

1. odor while applying
2. cost
3. time takes to finish properly

thanks in advance! ,
--
Steve Barker
remove the "not" from my address to email

Personally, red oak with a clear finish is an ugly wood, and it turns
orange in time as light ages it. I would first do something to adjust
the color to something more pleasing to the eye then coat it with a very
durable finish. Stairs get a lot of abuse, more than most floor areas,
most of the wear is concentrated in the middle and front of the the
tread, and it will wear very quickly if it is not finished properly.
Shellac is great but it won't last very long.

If you are getting orange out of your red oak after time it may very
well be your finish. I have clear coated/varnished red oak pieces in my
home that are going on 30 years old and they have only gone to a golden
color. How long are you talking about to see the orange?

Leon. Have you ever had a look at the Cadex nailers? They're a pin
nailer that shoots a "slightly headed pin". The key benefit to them is
the increased holding power.

Now, I'm wondering how much of a difference there is between the foot
print of a regular pinner and one of these "slightly headed pins"?

I've got to say, every time I'm in the market for something new, the
internet can be a curse as well as a blessing. There's so many options
for stuff these days that it's often a pain to pick something.

On 2/21/2012 6:58 AM, Dave wrote:
Leon. Have you ever had a look at the Cadex nailers? They're a pin
nailer that shoots a "slightly headed pin". The key benefit to them is
the increased holding power.

Now, I'm wondering how much of a difference there is between the foot
print of a regular pinner and one of these "slightly headed pins"?

I've got to say, every time I'm in the market for something new, the
internet can be a curse as well as a blessing. There's so many options
for stuff these days that it's often a pain to pick something.

No Dave I have never see the Cadex in person.

But visiting their site, their 23 gauge brads have a .8mm wide head and
the 23 guuge nail is .025" wide. Basically the head is about 1.25 times
wider than the nail body. I don't see that as being much difference and
likely to only be wider on two sides and the same width on the sides
that the nails are attached to each other. Like 18 gauge brads.

Leon lcb11211@swbelldotnet wrote in
:

If you are getting orange out of your red oak after time it may very
well be your finish. I have clear coated/varnished red oak pieces in my
home that are going on 30 years old and they have only gone to a golden
color. How long are you talking about to see the orange?

My red oak stepstool is still the same after finishing years ago with clear
shellac. OTOH, an ash shoe bech that I tried to warm up with some orangy
shellac initiall turned all kinds of colors, from green to orange, and only
later did I get it to just be a warm orange brown. I figure it is
interaction between components added to the shellac and resins in the wood
that can yield surprises. The advice would likely be a thin (diluted)
shellac seal coat that's left to dry before adding more shellac, but I'm
FAR from expert.

--
Best regards
Han
email address is invalid

"Leon" lcb11211@swbelldotnet wrote in message
...
On 2/20/2012 9:56 PM, EXT wrote:

"Steve Barker" wrote in message
...
I'm fixin' to sculpture some stair treads from some rough cut red oak
i practically stole from an Amish auction ( 85 cents per BF). What i
need to know is what finish i can use that meets the following criteria:

1. not water based poly
2. natural (as clear as oil based can do)
3. not too slick to sock feet

Things that don't matter:

1. odor while applying
2. cost
3. time takes to finish properly

thanks in advance! ,
--
Steve Barker
remove the "not" from my address to email

Personally, red oak with a clear finish is an ugly wood, and it turns
orange in time as light ages it. I would first do something to adjust
the color to something more pleasing to the eye then coat it with a very
durable finish. Stairs get a lot of abuse, more than most floor areas,
most of the wear is concentrated in the middle and front of the the
tread, and it will wear very quickly if it is not finished properly.
Shellac is great but it won't last very long.

If you are getting orange out of your red oak after time it may very well
be your finish. I have clear coated/varnished red oak pieces in my home
that are going on 30 years old and they have only gone to a golden color.
How long are you talking about to see the orange?

Some people may consider it to be "golden", to me I see the golden yellow
mixed with the hint of red in red oak and it looks closer to "orange" to me,
and I don't find it a pleasant color for wood. It seems to peak at about 10
years. I have seen it in a number of oak floors/furniture finished a variety
of ways so it doesn't appear to be caused by the finish. Possibly water
based will add less color and age better, only time will tell.

On 2/21/2012 10:03 AM, EXT wrote:

Some people may consider it to be "golden", to me I see the golden
yellow mixed with the hint of red in red oak and it looks closer to
"orange" to me, and I don't find it a pleasant color for wood. It seems
to peak at about 10 years. I have seen it in a number of oak
floors/furniture finished a variety of ways so it doesn't appear to be
caused by the finish. Possibly water based will add less color and age
better, only time will tell.

There is indeed an entire industry that seems built upon the phrase, if
not the color, "Golden Oak".

(AAMOF, I'm surprised some corporate jackass hasn't bought a
clowngressman in an attempted to TM the term yet)

I don't see the orange of which you speak ... then again I've been
touting the benefits of being color blind for some time.

--
www.eWoodShop.com
Last update: 4/15/2010
KarlCaillouet@ (the obvious)
http://gplus.to/eWoodShop

On 2/21/2012 10:03 AM, EXT wrote:

"Leon" lcb11211@swbelldotnet wrote in message
...
On 2/20/2012 9:56 PM, EXT wrote:

"Steve Barker" wrote in message
...
I'm fixin' to sculpture some stair treads from some rough cut red oak
i practically stole from an Amish auction ( 85 cents per BF). What i
need to know is what finish i can use that meets the following
criteria:

1. not water based poly
2. natural (as clear as oil based can do)
3. not too slick to sock feet

Things that don't matter:

1. odor while applying
2. cost
3. time takes to finish properly

thanks in advance! ,
--
Steve Barker
remove the "not" from my address to email

Personally, red oak with a clear finish is an ugly wood, and it turns
orange in time as light ages it. I would first do something to adjust
the color to something more pleasing to the eye then coat it with a very
durable finish. Stairs get a lot of abuse, more than most floor areas,
most of the wear is concentrated in the middle and front of the the
tread, and it will wear very quickly if it is not finished properly.
Shellac is great but it won't last very long.

If you are getting orange out of your red oak after time it may very
well be your finish. I have clear coated/varnished red oak pieces in
my home that are going on 30 years old and they have only gone to a
golden color. How long are you talking about to see the orange?

Some people may consider it to be "golden", to me I see the golden
yellow mixed with the hint of red in red oak and it looks closer to
"orange" to me, and I don't find it a pleasant color for wood. It seems
to peak at about 10 years. I have seen it in a number of oak
floors/furniture finished a variety of ways so it doesn't appear to be
caused by the finish. Possibly water based will add less color and age
better, only time will tell.


Well you are certainly entitled to your opinion. :!)
I have never seen any red in red oak with the exception of when I sand
it with out dust collection. Fresh sanded red oak has a slight pinkish
cast to me. That all disappears with the introduction of a drop of
sweat or water and or any of the brands of varnish that I have been
using for the last 30 years.

I personally am not crazy about the golden color that it turns when wet
or varnished. LOL I do much prefer white oak over red oak.

On Feb 18, 4:42*pm, Steve Barker wrote:
I'm fixin' to sculpture some stair treads from some rough cut red oak i
practically stole from an Amish auction ( 85 cents per BF). *What i need
to know is what finish i can use that meets the following criteria:

1. not water based poly
2. natural (as clear as oil based can do)
3. not too slick to sock feet

Things that don't matter:

1. odor while applying
2. cost
3. time takes to finish properly

thanks in advance! ,
--
Steve Barker
remove the "not" from my address to email

Nothing makes red oak glow like amber shellac. It's plenty
durable; my oak floors are 40 years old, amber shellac finish,
still in good shape. 2 lb cut goes on fast, self-levels, no need
to scuff between coats, as with varnish or water based.

Cut the "slickness" by using paste floor wax; these differ
from regular wax by addition of silica.

Steve Barker wrote:

I'm fixin' to sculpture some stair treads from some rough cut red oak i
practically stole from an Amish auction ( 85 cents per BF). What i need
to know is what finish i can use that meets the following criteria:

1. not water based poly
2. natural (as clear as oil based can do)
3. not too slick to sock feet

Things that don't matter:

1. odor while applying
2. cost
3. time takes to finish properly

thanks in advance! ,

Sure someone mentioned it - but - if you do go with shellac, dewaxed
will help it to stand up better to water.