Tried a water pop trick on oak and it saved a tricky grain match

I had a customer in Spokane last month who wanted a built-in bookcase with two different oak boards that just wouldn't match color wise no matter what stain I tried. So I wet the darker board with a damp rag before sanding to raise the grain and lightened the final shade just enough. Then I used a diluted wash coat of shellac on both before staining and they blended perfectly. Has anyone else used water pop to fix a mismatched panel situation?

2 comments

2 Comments

victor_carr2528d ago

Water pop is just raising the grain, it doesn't really lighten the wood itself. That shift in color you saw was probably the moisture pulling some of the existing stain or oils to the surface, or the shellac wash coat doing the heavy lifting. I've done the same thing on walnut where the sapwood and heartwood wouldn't cooperate, and the shellac coat is what really saved me, not the water. Still a solid trick to have in the bag, just don't give the water more credit than it deserves.

ellis.robert28d ago

Funny how a little water can solve what sandpaper and stain couldn't, just like life.