# Finishing old-growth Douglas Fir without the red



## Bungalow5 (Jun 14, 2012)

I've had newly milled, old-growth doug fir recently installed around some door openings and as a couple small benches. I need to seal them and the carpenter recomended Watco teak oil. I like the application and matt finish of the teak oil but I don't like how red it looks. 
Can I stain the fir to more of a brown without darkening it much? I don't want it dark I just don't want it red. Is there anything that would keep it looking pretty much as it does now, unfinished? Any advise or recommendations? I'm a newbie who wants to learn. Any thoughts on water-based products?


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## Bonka (Mar 24, 2011)

If you put any color on it it will most likely blotch. We finished a DF mantle by first making a hide glue sizing (1 oz hide glue granules in on quart hot water) brushed it on and alllowed to dry overnight. It was then lightly sanded with 320 paper and two wiped on coats of Waterlox original applied 24 hrs appart. After allowing to cure for a couple of weeks it was lightly rubbed with 0000 steel wool and soapy water. There was an even coat, no blotches and the end grain absorbed the same amount of topcoat as the long grain. That was 10 years ago and the finsih has held up to untold items being placed on it and it still looks great.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

Regardless of the red is coming from you can counteract it with green. A light green stain can be mixed using tinting color but the best would be to use an aniline dye. Mohawk finishing supplies makes an NGR green concentrate that can be thinned with alcohol or can be ordered in powder form which wouldn't include the hasmat fees the premix would. If you want to use tinting color, many paint companies will sell tinting color in bottles that is used to color paint. It's the same thing that is in their machines they use when they mix a color of paint for you. You would just mix it with water. Just think much more water than color or you will have green paint instead of stain. What ever you use be sure to try it on scraps first. Then the wood can be finished over with what ever finish you like.


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