# Red Oak Table, but wife wants the base white and need help getting the finish right?



## MattSS (Jun 13, 2018)

So here is the issue. Built a great red oak table, but the wife wants it "trendy" with a dark top and white base. Compromise was to do a dark stain on the top so that nice grain comes through and white wash the base. Long story short the white wash was not deep enough of a white for her.

So my question is do any of you guys know of a technique or product that is not bleach that would give a deeper fuller white to the red oak but still allow the character of the wood to come through like a stain will?

Tried doing multiple coats on the white wash and it was not successful. No "white" gel stains that I can find so any help greatly appreciated.


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## GR8HUNTER (Jun 13, 2016)

what about thinning white paint down … would that give you effect your going after ? :<))


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## CWWoodworking (Nov 28, 2017)

When you put white stain on red oak, it looks pink.

I would go to SW and ask for there BAC stain. Take a piece of wood in there and have them make what u want.


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## lumbering_on (Jan 21, 2017)

Please have you wife watch Nick Offerman's answer - it's at 39 seconds of this clip. It will answer all your questions.


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## MattSS (Jun 13, 2018)

Love the YouTube, been down that road we have pretty much called this divorce project 2018!

I had not thought about going into Sherman Williams and seeing if a custom BAC stain would do. Thanks for the suggestion.


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## jmos (Nov 30, 2011)

I'd give the Wife what she wants. If she wants painted white, paint it white. Got to pick your battles. Happy Wife, happy life.


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## OSU55 (Dec 14, 2012)

White lacquer paint will give a very opaque bright white in a thin film letting the physical grain structure show. Even a rattle can will do. Dont try to brush lacquer. HAve to use a compatible clear coat like wb poly.


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## Jared_S (Jul 6, 2018)

I'd just paint it with white precat lacquer. If she wants a white base farm table look paint is the only way I know of to achieve that.


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## MattSS (Jun 13, 2018)

Thanks guys, we might have to go the paint route, but since it's my elbow grease and sweat equity I am gonna test a few of these other methods and see if she will like them before I commit to just white paint though. The wood grain is just to nice to just slap some paint on it without at giving some fair test


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## swirt (Apr 6, 2010)

Two possibilities that I can think of that have not been mentioned yet.

1) White milk paint [amazon], then knocked back a bit with fine sandpaper or steel wool. If you want a mild sheen, rub down with BLO or tung oil after it dries. (tung would be more water resistant than BLO)

2) BIN white shellac [amazon] then sand or steel wool until you get the amount of grain showing that you want.


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## BalsaWood (Mar 25, 2015)

Target Coatings sells a nice sprayable white lacquer. It can also be brushed.


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## CWWoodworking (Nov 28, 2017)

when I paint red oak, I double prime with water based primer, no sand in between. Then 2 coats of breakthrough paint.

When I didn't prime, I got bleed through on some pieces.


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## CWWoodworking (Nov 28, 2017)

For future reference, if she wants a rustic white finish with rub through, here is a pic of a table I make a lot of. It is one very heavy coat of breakthrough, sand through with 150, sand with 240, wipe down with a very lightly tinted minwax wipe on poly. That is pine on the base by the way. Women love it.


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## OSU55 (Dec 14, 2012)

CW what is "breakthrough paint"?


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## CWWoodworking (Nov 28, 2017)

> CW what is "breakthrough paint"?
> 
> - OSU55


It's a paint by PPG. Similar to target coating laquer.


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