GregP Posted March 30, 2006 Report Share Posted March 30, 2006 I'm finishing my lap steel project much the same as the way Koch does it on his website-- with Danish oil. I don't mind the dings it's likely to get. The project is cherry over top of mahogany, and I'd like there to be more contrast between the wood tones, so I was considering staining the mahogany a bit first. I really don't mind if the stain ends up fading a bit over time... the whole project is to make a bit of a workhorse, not a work of art. Consequently, I really want the stain/tint/whatever to be something that's easily available at any Home Depot or WalMart or whatnot. I don't want to play the supplies-chasing game on this one. I've done a bit of searching, but I'm not finding a definitive answer to these questions: 1. Can I use any oil-based stain and still have the Danish Oil "work" properly over top? Would it be easier to tint the Danish Oil for the subtle color change, instead? I know you can buy pre-tinted, but I already have heaps of Oil and would rather work with what I have, unless the stain is $10 or more, in which case it's more economical to just buy more coloured Danish Oil. 2. If I'm careful and go with a light touch, will simple painter's tape be enough to draw a "line" separating the top from the bottom? I know that oils and stains are intended to soak into the grain, and therefore it may want to creep up into the Cherry. But the cherry, being a fairly dense wood, might not be as much of a "sponge" as the mahogany, so I'm hoping that the tape will be enough to deter any border-crossing stain. Thanks for any help! Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted March 30, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 30, 2006 *bump* Pity me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wardd Posted March 30, 2006 Report Share Posted March 30, 2006 Why not take some of the cut-offs and experiment with the combinations you want. Be Cool, d ward Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted March 30, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 30, 2006 Looks like I'll have to do just that. Mainly, I wanted to know in advance of buying a product that may or may not work. Since it's a fairly safe bet that my original hunch is correct (any oil based stain should still work along with Danish Oil) I'll just have to go for it. Still, $5 is $5, and if someone knows for sure that it WON'T work, that's $5 and some minimal effort saved. Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
javacody Posted April 1, 2006 Report Share Posted April 1, 2006 Somewhat related, I dyed an alder body yellow (water based aniline) and applied 8 to 10 coats of Raw Tung Oil over the top. It went on fine, however if I play without a shirt, my belly gets yellow. If I play with short sleeves, then my forearms also get yellow. I would think that alcohol based stain would have been much better and worked well. Have you thought about going with dye? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted April 2, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 2, 2006 I don't really know the difference or availability. The thread could as easily have been titled: "Making my mahogany darker, in a way compatible with Danish Oil." As long as there won't be any negative reactions between them, dye might be a way to go. Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Irizarry Posted April 2, 2006 Report Share Posted April 2, 2006 I've been after this answer for a while myself - no luck yet. One thing I haven't tried is contacting the manufacturers of Danish oil products for their recommendations. I think I'll shoot off some emails today - I'll let you know what I find out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted April 2, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 2, 2006 Much appreciated. I tried the local stores, but nobody had an answer. One guy said that oil + oil doesn't always ensure compatibility, but couldn't go any further than that with my specifics. I called MinWax, who make the Gel I have, and they said that they don't make Danish Oil and therefore couldn't guarantee compatibility. I'd be curious to know what you find out! Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted April 4, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 4, 2006 Any news? I haven't phoned anybody, but I did some net-searching. One fellow in a Yahoo user group was suggesting (for a different purpose, but I'm adapting it to mine) adding analine dye to some of the Danish Oil itself, in order to produce a more darkly-coloured wood. Yet another person WAS using Gel Stain in combination with Danish oil, but they seemed to be less than expert at finishing, and didn't post back with results. On Wednesday, I'll be able to check the sample I made for myself to see if the two are compatible-ish. Worst case scenario, my guitar truly lives up to its "workhorse" destiny and isn't a work of art. Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted April 5, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 5, 2006 Grr. Now a site I visited says that even a penetrating "mixed" product like Danish oil won't work well with porous woods like mahogany without a pore-filler/sealer. Just when I thought I had an easy project.... I hate living in Canada when it comes to sourcing this crap for guitars. There's all kinds of poly out there, but with the danger of ghost lines and all that jazz, it hardly seems worthwhile even trying. Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wardd Posted April 5, 2006 Report Share Posted April 5, 2006 GregP, You're right, it sound like a real pain all the way around. If I were you, I'd take a close look at that sweet lap steel in the April GOTM and make the guy an offer he just can't turn down. Be Cool, d ward Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted April 5, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 5, 2006 Hrm? The guitar is made. ;-) I just need to put finish. As it turns out, the gel stain was compatible, or at least my sample from last week didn't have anything weird happen with it. Off we go with the gel stain, then. I was amazed that nobody here knew more about it, until I began searching on the internet and came up short with every attempt. Vague hints here and there, but nothing concrete saying what Danish Oil is compatible with. I guess this'll be the first definitive "you can use gel stain with Danish Oil" thread provided it ends up working out in the long run. Make an offer... this is Project Guitar, not buy a guitar! I like your signature line. This may end up being a mistake, but what the heck, it's time to just go for it. Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott from _actual time_ Posted October 3, 2006 Report Share Posted October 3, 2006 did you end up trying that Danish Oil? if so, how'd it turn out? i'm working on a mahogany 7-string body that i'm considering finishing with Danish Oil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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