four poster bed

[guypie333]

hi to all.first post. i need advice on timber selection,i am building a bed for clients who spotted a black high gloss finish article in the high street, i convinced them that a black stained hardwood with a oiled finish would be a classier option.i would like a beautiful grain pattern which shows through the ink i will stain with.all suggestions gratefully received.i found the website through british woodworking and as i live in rural co tyrone ni this will be a godsend . cheers guy

 

[Steve Maskery]

If you want a grain to show through black, you need something open-pored and visually strong. I'd choose ash. It also has the advantage of being relatively inexpensive.

BTW, welcome!
S

 

[Jake]

I think there was a black ash revival last year. It might be over, though.

 

[Oryxdesign]

Oak looks good sprayed back, especially if you open the grain with a liming brush first. I tried all sorts of finishes on that job including french polishing but in the end the best look was 2K car paint 30% gloss straight onto the wood (no primer). Sorry I haven't got any photos.

 

[Steve Maskery]

That sounds interesting OD, and I agree that oak would be a suitable - perhaps even more suitable - timber.

What is 2K paint? Is it a brand?
S

 

[Oryxdesign]

2K or 2 pack paint is just a 2 component paint system, I'm not an expert on it I just went into my local car paint supplier (Kent Paints) and purchased satin black. You can specify the shinyness and I just took the guys advice on this. It goes on really easy and soaks right into the wood so it's durable and even makes the timber harder, I used 2 coats which dry in less than 1/2 hour, if you have panels I would paint both sides at the same time (learnt the hard way) or you can get distortion.

 

[Steve Maskery]

Thank you. I take it you sprayed?
S

 

[Oryxdesign]

I did, I know you don't like spraying because of the mess, understandably at home, however you could talk to a local car body workshop, there isn't much labour involved so I would expect it to be relatively cheap. I did some small pieces with a rattle can which was surprisingly successful.
Simon

 

[mailee]

I should add here that 2K paint should be sprayed with an air fed mask! If you breathe the fumes it is harmful. (Remember Bhopal) It contains a similar chemical. I do use this daily at work but with air fed mask. I did once spray it without and spent an evening feeling very unwell with difficulty breathing all night. Perfectly safe if used with the correct gear. HTH.

 

[guypie333]

If you want a grain to show through black, you need something open-pored and visually strong. I'd choose ash. It also has the advantage of being relatively inexpensive.

BTW, welcome!
hi steve thanks for getting back to me ash sounds acceptable the item they viewed was ash with a laquer finish cheers guy

 

[guypie333]

Oak looks good sprayed back, especially if you open the grain with a liming brush first. I tried all sorts of finishes on that job including french polishing but in the end the best look was 2K car paint 30% gloss straight onto the wood (no primer). Sorry I haven't got any photos.

hi oryxdesign thanks for your advice.spraying is not in my skill set and scares me silly.i think subbing the spraying would prove to expensive for this project but will file for another day cheers guy

 

[guypie333]

I think there was a black ash revival last year. It might be over, though.

hi jake thank you for your input i would agree black may be over but did it begin,ive never been asked for it as a finish before so this is virgin territory i am looking forward to it cheers guy

 

[Oryxdesign]

Hi guypie, I think you may be surprised about the cost, the expensive part of spraying is prep and there isn't much prep in this method. There is no rubbing down in between coats, no rubbing down before paint and no polishing after. You'll probably need about £50 worth of stuff for a 4 poster erring on the dear side and a couple of three hours in the booth. They'll probably be a bit nervous about trying this but you could get a sample done for the customer and then they may be a bit less dubious.
If you want to try a bit for yourself buy a rattle can of satin black, clean the surface, oak or ash, and give it a blast.
Simon
PS welcome here, you'll find loads of good advice and some conflicting opinions!

 

[guypie333]

Hi guypie, I think you may be surprised about the cost, the expensive part of spraying is prep and there isn't much prep in this method. There is no rubbing down in between coats, no rubbing down before paint and no polishing after. You'll probably need about £50 worth of stuff for a 4 poster erring on the dear side and a couple of three hours in the booth. They'll probably be a bit nervous about trying this but you could get a sample done for the customer and then they may be a bit less dubious.
If you want to try a bit for yourself buy a rattle can of satin black, clean the surface, oak or ash, and give it a blast.
Simon
PS welcome here, you'll find loads of good advice and some conflicting opinions!

hey oryxdesign i will take your advice on buying a rattle can and the sample panel it cannot hurt and the cost is negligable.looking forward to conflicting opinions as i lean towards conservatism and i live up a mountain.the dog does not give great feedback and caves in to my ideas to easily cheers guy