# Staining and finishing american walnut veneer.



## DragonImprovements (15 Aug 2014)

Hi all, 

Im looking for advice on finishing a veneer project. Its my very first veneer project and actual my very first project I've built in the new workshop.

Ive googled and youtubed as normal but i was asking some advice on the best stain to bring out the colours of the walnut and also the sanding, polishing of the finish?

Im after a high sheen finish as an end project.

Thanks in advance all


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## Harbo (15 Aug 2014)

A description of your project and a photo would help, but why do you want to stain American Walnut?

Rod


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## DragonImprovements (15 Aug 2014)

Harbo":1f82fxqr said:


> A description of your project and a photo would help, but why do you want to stain American Walnut?
> 
> Rod




Hi Rod, i planned on creating a thread once it was complete. Plain and simple, its a coffee table. From what I've read they always mention staining walnut to bring out its best colours, but then never mention the stain use. I quite like to colour of it naturally, so would just like to enhance that colour with some sort of varnish. Being new to all this, just seeking a bit of advice


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## [email protected] (16 Aug 2014)

make sure you use a stain that does not have the same solvent as the finish or the finish when applied will drag the stain out which is much more of a problem on figured timbers.


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## marcros (16 Aug 2014)

I always oil walnut to bring out the grain. I have stained it in the past to even out out some colour differences in the pieces that I used. I prefer not to if I can avoid it though. My standard on walnut is tru-oil but I don't know how suitable it is for a coffee table.


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## Harbo (16 Aug 2014)

Weil I suppose the only walnut thing I've made so far is some saw handles - just some shellac followed by wax:







Rod


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## [email protected] (16 Aug 2014)

blimey I bet you live in fear of dropping them!!


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## RogerS (17 Aug 2014)

[email protected]":og11n1bb said:


> make sure you use a stain that does not have the same solvent as the finish or the finish when applied will drag the stain out which is much more of a problem on figured timbers.



True. In extremis you can get away with applying a mist coat of, say, shellac (meths solvent) with a sprayer which acts as a seal over the stain (meths solvent). Then you can apply the finishing layers of shellac ...as long as you aren't too heavy handed.


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## Mar_mite (20 Aug 2014)

I've done a couple if walnut jobs over the past year and Danish oil was easy and looked good. Not glossy though.

I did put some briwax over the top of the Danish oil to add a bit of depth and shine. Worked quite well.


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## JimB (26 Aug 2014)

Of course the most natural walnut stain is vandyke crystals which are made from walnut kernels. However, you shouldn't really need them. With solid walnut I've used french polish followed with waxing once the polish has had time to harden.


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