Please help identify this finish

It appears to have been stained and topped with a low sheen lacquer clear coat. Anything more specific than that would be pure speculation.

-- Clint Searl.............We deserve what we tolerate

Looks like the grain has been filled with something dark, hard to say about the final finish.

-- |Statistics show that 100% of people bitten by a snake were close to it.|

It does look like they might of used a dark filler in the grain and you could use a Dull Rub Pre-catalyzed lacquer (around a 15 sheen), gives you the protection without the shine.

-- John @ http://www.thehuffordfurnituregroup.com

if you read the thread ” stain wont take “down about 1/2 way we talk about asphaltum, a stain made from basically a sort of tar, its been around for eons, I would suspect if you gave it a try then wiped it off the surface with some mineral spirits you would be quite close, this is similar to a pickleing process which is usually done with a white paint or stain,

you may want to do a first coat of oil, like a good oil/varnish a thin one like formbys or similar, this will prevent the stain from biting in hard and make it easier to wipe the surface off, just go easy and watch for wipe marks,

Yeah, this is a beautiful look. I concur with Charles…likely pickled with Asphaltum.

-- jay, www.allaboutastro.com

Like others have noted, looks like a dark pore filler to intentionally show up. Anyone know the name of this technique? My dad has spoken of a similar technique where you paint some open pore wood (I think) and then come back and fill in with some white stuff – I will have to ask him about that. It looks really neat.

Scottin its called pickleing ( sp) , became poplar in the 90’s, you could use white or any other color of latex paint wipe it on then wipe it off letting it hang in the pores and some would leave a light tint of the color on the surface

If it is Asphaltum, how’d they keep it out of those saw marks?

That’s a joke BTW.

-- Failure does not stop me, it makes me try harder..... because I'm crazy.

C’mon guys; it’s obviously a production piece out of a commercial shop, which is unlikely to use something as archaic and fussy/messy as asphaltum. It’s a straight stain and clear coat, without a filler.

-- Clint Searl.............We deserve what we tolerate

First off, it looks like rift-cut Oak, (hence the bold radial figure), which is NOT typical of a production piece. That makes me think perhaps it might be fumed with ammonia—no stain at all.

-- "Hard work is not defined by the difficulty of the task as much as a person's desire to perform it.", DS251

DS IMO quarter sawn. To get the heavy figuring from the medullary rays, (flecking etc.) it is likely quarter sawn. Rift sawn has the same characteristics, but is cut further from the hart, where the rays are most prevelant, and has less prominent features. Although I doubt it is the case here, I have friends using “torching” to get effects like this. Burning the surface with mapp torches, and then sanding the wood back, leaving the dark grain, like staining and wiping fast, then sanding.

-- Who is John Galt?

Thanks, Charles. I was pleased to see you here. I appreciate your videos. I still have a lot to watch.

JP….
Look at this link to American Woodworker .

I think this will give you some insight as to the steps which you can try on scrap.

PJ

-- God is great, the Beer is good and people are Crazy. http://mysite.verizon.net/vzer4znv/pauljoneswoodworks/

Wow – PJ – thanks for the link. I think I could enjoy just finishing.

@ ScottinTexas….
This may also be of interest to you…read my Blog: Finishing Tips #4: Gel Stain & Gel Varnish.

Have some fun with it, I am, and I hate to finish.

pj

-- God is great, the Beer is good and people are Crazy. http://mysite.verizon.net/vzer4znv/pauljoneswoodworks/