My current project is another round oak table. My clients were impressed with the painted oak table I made several months ago and talked to me about changing their oak table. The style of this family is not country, but the kitchen table was pure country and completely incongruous with the style of the rest of the house. The condition of the table was another source of frustration: the stained top was chipping, there were bare spots, and bubbles left the surface anything but smooth. We had talked over the years about what to do with the table, and replacement was considered; but the table had sentimental value, as it had been the table my client had grown up with since childhood, and so he wanted to hold on to it.

Although the clients liked the painted oak table, that was the inspiration for their table; we discuss the durability of a painted surface vs. a stained surface. Staining was the most practical application for the heavy use this table receives on a daily basis. A family of five can be very exhausting. These clients have different circumstances than the client with the painted oak table, so staining was the right choice.

What they had was a stained oak table, again too country for this modern family. Since the black painted table was the inspiration to swap out your country oak for something more modern, we talked about staining the table black or ebony. Oak, stained or painted black, gives it a decidedly more modern look.

I went through the offered stains and bought a brand that I have used for years in ebony color. Once I stripped, sanded, and washed the table, it was ready for the ebony stain. Fortunately, I stained the sheet first. The stain turned black and solid, but once the required time had passed, when I wiped off the excess stain, I was disappointed to see that the color was not what I expected. The brown color of the wood was still quite apparent, while the more open grain of the oak soaked up the stain very well, giving me the blackness I wanted. I followed the instructions and let the stain dry, and applied a couple more coats of the stain, not getting anywhere near the color I was hoping for. Also, I knew that the wood would not accept any more stain, as the most open black grain was “weeping” bubbles of stain.

This process took days to work on and resulted in further investigation. I have been painting and staining furniture since I was a teenager and have used a variety of stains and paints; But times change, as do products. In California, many of the products from my youth are no longer available here. I decided to do some research online and tried some homemade ideas, like soaking steel wool in white vinegar; the color of the vinegar doesn’t change, but there is a chemical reaction that affects the tannin in the wood, and that will make it black or dark grey, not black enough for my purpose, but still interesting.

I went to a junkyard in downtown Los Angeles and talked to a guy who showed me what he uses, another name brand stain that I’ve used in the past. After trying this new bottom sheet stain, I was delighted to see that the results would be perfect! This brand was much more viscous; after just one coat, i knew it would give me the result i was looking for.

After removing what I could from the first failed attempt to stain the blade, I sanded and washed the surface. I applied the new stain to both the base and the blade. I saved the top for last, wanting to do all my experiments on the base and blade.

I used an oil-based finish from the same brand that I felt would be the best under the circumstances; however, the weather changed and drying times took days to get to the point where I was able to put down the first coat of finish. Having to wait at least 4 hours between coats means it will take at least another day to finish this project.

Once there are enough coats of finish, this table will serve the family well for many years, giving them the modern look they want, while retaining the sentimental value of the old oak table from my client’s youth.