Non-yellowing finish for ash?

[stix]

Does anyone have any suggestions for a hard waring, non-yellowing finish for ash?

I love the pale colour of ash and want to try and retain the colour on my finished project. I was hoping to use danish oil as a finish but the sample piece I have done has gone really quite yellow

Is there anything I can do to the wood before applying the danish oil? Or will danish oil always have this effect and I should maybe look at an alternative finish?

Cheers for the help

Steve

 

[Nick W]

Any oil will yellow a wood. What you need is an acrylic varnish or lacquer. Brands include Chestnut, MD Finney, Wood finishes Direct, Polyvine,

 

[stix]

Thanks for the advice nick. The links are a great help and provide some good information although I'm sure I'll be back for more

 

[AndyBoyd]

I have projects where I have bleached the ash too before applying the sorter of finishes mentioned above, comes out very well. I used caustic Soda which my local pharmacy were happy to sell me once they had realised what I wanted to do with is and had the appropriate safety approaches (what they were doing with it in the first place I've no idea!)

 

[stix]

Thanks Andy,

Have you used this method with oil-based finish or water-based? If I bleach the wood will it remain light in colour or still yellow over time?

 

[AndyBoyd]

I have used acrylic and water based and it has not yellowed it over time (5 years for an ash chair and 3 years for some ripple sycamore doors)

 

[stix]

I might give that a go on a new sample then Andy, thanks.

Do you have any details of the products you used and the process?

Cheers
Steve

 

[AndyBoyd]

I bleach with the diluted caustic Acid (Gloves Goggles ventilation !!!!!!!!)

the after 2 hours I wash it down with water to remove the caustic acid. (hose pipe)

I then wash again as the bleach smell does not always go first time and scrub it with a brush.

leave it to dry for 1 day

I then sand again to 240 grit to remove the raised grain, and I then apply Chesnut Acrylic lacquer, or the water base lacquer. i do this by hand as I'm no sprayer Quite simple really. You may think about a sanding sealer too (weak shellac or again the Chesnut product. Chose a clear product of course and blond shellac is your using that to seal it.

Now having said this I'm just a bumbling amateur so please others chip in with improvements to my process or suggestions

 

[stix]

Thanks again Andy

I'll give it a go on a sample piece of wood tonight and give it the weekend to dry out. I'll let you know how I get on.


Cheers
Steve

 

[AndyBoyd]

Oh one more thing Household bleach isn't really strong enough, you really need to go for the industrial strength stuff hence my visit to my local pharmacy.

 

[orangetlh]

Ive found cellulose sealer to be good on light timbers. hardly coulours it at all. I used it on a maple and bleached birds eye maple table. the timber stayed almost white and hasnt yellowed a bit. Better use it in a well ventilated area tho