Staining red oak to match white oak

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chriszeh
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Joined: Thu Jul 20, 2006 4:46 pm
Location: Longmont, CO

Staining red oak to match white oak

Post by chriszeh »

I am working on a cabinet with white oak doors, panels, and sides, but I purchased a sheet of ½ red oak plywood. Does anyone know of a process to make my red oak plywood match my white oak doors?
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Ed in Tampa
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Joined: Fri Jul 21, 2006 12:45 am
Location: North Tampa Bay area Florida

Post by Ed in Tampa »

To me Red Oak and White oak are similar in color. What is really different is the grain pattern. One has open pores and the others are closed.

If your oak is actually different in color I would try two things sanding the darker one to see if it may have been effected by the sun. Two using stain on both applying it at different amounts to see if you can get both woods to match. Using a sanding sealer will help to fill the pores to make them less noticable and perhaps allow the stain to go on uniform enough to match.

However no matter what you do the grain is never going to match. Besides the wood having two different grain patterns that solid wood is probably quarter or flat sawn while the ply was rotary cut again making the grain pattern very different.

One last thing, think about using the difference to accent your work rather than trying to hide it. Many times constrasting grains/colors done properly will enhance your work instead of detracting from it.
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