The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Making a Stovebolt Bed Dark bed wood stain

I just got my complete mar-k bed kit in and mocked up. I went with oak but want a dark stain close to black but want to see the wood grain does any one have pics of a done bed or a type of dark stain you recommend, the truck is being painted original mariner blue with polished SS bed strips.
thanks
http://i1222.photobucket.com/albums/dd487/sinistar2084/IMG_1069.jpg

I don't have any photos but you probably want "ebony" as the stain color. You can try samples on the bottom side. You can also get oak at the big box stores or hardwood lumber companies to try samples on. You really need to disassemble the wood bed and stain all sides and pay special attention to the ends. Mar K has information on their site about what finishes hold up.

I ran across this the other day and I think you may find it speaks to your question. (at the bottom of the page)
Mak-K wood finish test 2
I'm thinking they show a strong reason for choosing paint over stains.

yes i did see the mar-k info when i bought the bed kit but i do not want to use paint I want to see the wood grain and looking for a good dark stain color
thanks

I went with a " Cabernet " color stain - quite dark reddish color like the wine I guess. Oak grain shows nicely. If you choose a really dark ( black ) type stain, final color will depend on how long you leave it in place before wiping down. Home Depot sells little sample tins of various colours. Get a few and experiment.

Stain colors wood but does not protect the wood. You can buy house and fence stain that will both color and protect the wood. There are transparent stains that will show more of the grain. Oak is open grain so even if painted the grain will show. No clear finish will hold up in the sun and rain. As long as you either garage the truck or plan on refinishing on a regular basis it won't last. This is the information shown on mar-k site.

Oak is a unique wood when it come to the use of stain. If you sand Oak to smooth it will not accept the stain. I normally stop at 150 grit when staining Oak. You may have to let the stain soak in longer than what it says on the can of stain, but don't let it dry. I usually keep the oak boards wet by adding the 2nd and 3rd coats before wiping off the excess. Again you may have to apply stain the next day to get the color you want. I use WATCO Danish Oil to stain my oak, comes in a few colors. Check Lowes, they carry it. The Danish oil will soak in the wood more so than stain. It will leave a hard coat finish, but you still must topcoat it. Helmsman Spar Urethane is what I found the best to use on wood exposed to weather. I used 7 coats on all sides and ends of the boards, sanding lightly between coats to get that nice smooth finish. Check out my cherry wood, purpleheart bed on the web site below. Any more questions, please ask!!!!!!!!!!!
Coach Frank

I am going to try for the same dark effect you want.
There are several different ways to achieve that effect.
Some people advocate the use of black shoe polish, India ink, lampblack, and black aniline dye. I have never tried those methods. I have successfully used three other methods but never on red oak. I will also be getting my red oak bed wood from Mar-K and plan to test each.

1. Thinned black paint top coated with varnish.

2. Minwax ebony stain topcoated with varnish.

3. A "stain" (actually a chemical reaction) made by soaking fine steel wool in vinegar for a week or two. Some will suggest throwing in some rusty nails too but I don't do that. The red oak may have enough natural tannins to react with the mixture as is but the effect can be intensified by first treating the wood with a mixture of strong tea.

I am holding the most hope for #3. With the right combination of pre-treating with tea (adding tannins to the wood) and the iron solution you make up with the steel wool and vinegar you should be able to create the effect you want. Unlike the other methods, the result is not seen immediately (hence practice pieces) but takes up to a few hours to fully develop.

I was planning to make my own wood bed using white oak or ash but with the other parts I will be ordering from Mar-K buying the wood puts me into the free shipping category. The wood is about the same price as the shipping so it is essentially free bed wood. At least that is how I am viewing it.

Post some pictures and let us know what you ultimately choose.

Chuck

Dye works good but has a "cool" blueish color to it. But if you thin it a bit and put a light coat on the wood before the stain, then your "base" color of the wood it dark to begin with and the stain will be darker as a result - I have never used dye by itself.
We use Accessa Coating's stain - http://www.accessa.biz/productdetail.aspx?product=1&sproduct=0
-in our cabinet shop, the have a Mocha stain that is very dark with a brownish undertone. These stains are 'what you see is what you get' in other words when youstain the board the first time, that's the color, if you put a second or third coat on it the color doesn't change. Whereas with minwax and most other store bought stains you need to put on multiple coats to get a dark color, these companies save money buy not putting a bunch o pigment in their product.
Varnish, varnish, varnish...especially the ends!

Thanks you guys for all the great info I went with ebony stain and semi gloss spar varnish just got done with 3rd coat will have some pics up over the weekend its looking great
josh