Thread: Black timber finishes

Search the forum for Porters Palm Beach Black. I did a short write up on my first use of the product on both American Oak veneer and Jarrah.

Since then I used it again on some Baltic pine floorboards as a temporary makeover and it has held up really well.

if you're not fussed about the specific colour at the end of the day combination products work well enough. My biggest pet peeve with them is once its on if you don't like it (or wished it was darker/lighter) there's no going back, sure you can sand it off and start again but that's an awful lot of rework.

If you're after black loads of ways to go about doing it, ie DIY using vinegar and steel wool, burn the wood (shou sugi ban), black paint also works well etc. Once you've got the color you're after apply your favourite coat of finish.

I’ve used Feast Watson Proof Tint black but only on small things, the biggest being some American Oak 400mm dia’ round three legged stools. Believe me it does turn timber black as black especially if you apply it two or three times. I probably shouldn’t have but I used UBeaut Hard Shellac (they’re both diluted with metho) over the top and the first two coats “pulled” some black out but by the final coat all was good and it didn’t really matter that the preceding coats coloured the shellac a bit black as after all I was going for black anyway and yes the grain showed through.

You didn’t say what you intend to stain but Proof Tint comes in as little as 50ml for about $12 so it’s good as a tester at least. I’ve also tried their Black Japan which is still pretty black but maybe a little warmer but I’m splitting hairs.

Feast Watson - Prooftint™ | Feast Watson

Had a read through your thread - thanks a lot.

Do you happen to have also tried the Feast Watson Japan black stain? I tried that once and it was quite a bit of effort to brush it into vic ash as it was open grained.

How is this when brushed onto open grain timber like your white oak, did you really have to agitate the brush around open pore areas?

Edit:
Also, since its water based it raised the grain? How did you manage that?
What sort of finish did you apply over it?

Originally Posted by qwertyu

Had a read through your thread - thanks a lot.

Do you happen to have also tried the Feast Watson Japan black stain? I tried that once and it was quite a bit of effort to brush it into vic ash as it was open grained.

How is this when brushed onto open grain timber like your white oak, did you really have to agitate the brush around open pore areas?

Edit:
Also, since its water based it raised the grain? How did you manage that?
What sort of finish did you apply over it?

hey mate please read the post again as most of your questions are answered. It’s not water based and I applied it using a folded up lint free cloth (think old cotton tee shirt or bed sheet). If you’re worried about open pores then use a filler or raise them with warm water and sand through grits to 320, some may go further but I’m not that way. You still haven’t said what you’re doing so it’s difficult to direct you specifically. The best advise I can give is buy the 50ml Proof Tint, read the instructions and do a test. Hope that helps

Originally Posted by springwater

hey mate please read the post again as most of your questions are answered. It’s not water based and I applied it using a folded up lint free cloth (think old cotton tee shirt or bed sheet). If you’re worried about open pores then use a filler or raise them with warm water and sand through grits to 320, some may go further but I’m not that way. You still haven’t said what you’re doing so it’s difficult to direct you specifically. The best advise I can give is buy the 50ml Proof Tint, read the instructions and do a test. Hope that helps

Sorry my questions were to Sir Stinkalot in regards to palm beach black

Originally Posted by qwertyu

Also, since its water based it raised the grain? How did you manage that?
What sort of finish did you apply over it?

Hi,

In relation to the Porters Palm Beach Black -

Yes it is water based. I didn’t really notice much in the way of raised grain. I did give the Jarrah a light sand from memory, which would have dealt with any raised grain - I didn’t do anything to the American Oak.

The open grain is interesting. It is quite a runny product and gave a good coverage of the American Oak on the initial application, which was just wiping it on with a rag. So nothing required to get it into the grain. The finish is a little rough on the touch, sort of like a really fine grain wet and dry sandpaper - but this may be the slightly raised grain.

It should be noted however that this produces a jet black finish. You mentioned you wanted to see the grain, so this may not be the right product for you. American Oak is a great product to use this on as it has the open grain, so the product give a complete black coverage, and light bouncing across the surface picks up the height variation which can be read as the grain patterns. On the Baltic pine floor, it has less of an open grain, so reads a little flatter, with just the grain coming through by the slightly different uptake of the growth rings.

No additional finish over the top required. It is an exterior product that can also be used on flooring without any other treatment, so it must be durable. It also goes a long way so for a woodworking project get the smallest quantity possible. I initially purchased 1L and completed a good number of smaller projects. I then purchased 4L to do the hallway floor in the house, and ended up only needing about 1L to do 20m2 or so of flooring.

I like the product as it is an easily applied jet black finish with good durability. Unlike a black paint, to my eye its still possible to tell that it is applied over timber, and how open the grain is will determine how much pattern can be seen (which is why it works well on American White Oak).

I haven’t used the FW Japan Black Stain. I have seen it finished, and it looks similar, but I liked the simplicity of the Porters product.

What is your project?

I have used another Feast Watson product for a black finish. Works particularly well on pine. Darkness in finish is achieved by applying multiple coats.

Feast Watson 250ml Satin Black Japan Stain And Varnish - Bunnings Australia

thanks everyone

Its just for some furniture legs to get a bit of contrast

The palm beach stuff sounds like what I should use what is described sounds perfect and if it doesnt need anything over it then thats great. You have mopped your hallway and it doesnt leach out?

In regards to the FW, it sounds like a safe option. The furniture legs were glued with epoxy and Im too lazy to get 100% out of internal corners which are visible. I think the FW will go right over it and stick to the epoxy since its an oil poly whereas Im not so sure about the palm beach...

Originally Posted by qwertyu

You have mopped your hallway and it doesnt leach out?

I haven’t personally mopped, but our cleaner has and hasn’t reported any issues. The jarrah was used for an external gate and I haven’t noticed any leaching from that, despite being exposed to the weather.