Oak doors

[Tomyjoiner]

So i went to look at a job on friday morning, a woman wants 8 4 panel doors making (victorian house, large doors) she wants 2 oak doors down stairs an the other 6 upstairs just in an oak stain. So Q1. If i do them in r/w whats the best stain so they will look euro oak ish? Q2. Any other ideas apart from r/w. Be nice to do in tulip with no knots but lack of grain makes it a no no. Input would be apreciated. Thanks.

[tusses]

Ash ?

[podengo]

Ash would be my choice, very similar grain and a reasonable price hardwood.

Stained softwood will always look like, well stained softwood -it can look ok, softwood church pews for example, but the knotty and stripey appearance of s/w tendd to be obvious for the first 40 years...

Ive done work for weatherspoons pubs in the past, panelling was softwood mouldings with ash veneered panels which looked pretty good once stained that dark brown/ purplish pub colour

[siafins]

Ash would be my choice.

[woodsmith]

If she is happy with an antique pine door then you could stain down pine, and I'd use caustic them rather than stain as stain can look so patchy, but if she wants them to look like oak I'd use oak.

[promhandicam]

Is Oak really going to be that much more expensive over Ash? You will presumably use veneered panels which are more or less the same whatever timber you choose, and I would be dead scared that the customer wouldn't be happy with a stained door when you are also making oak doors at the same time.

[Tomyjoiner]

The thing is she cant afford 8 oak doors, so the 2 you see diwn stairs will be oak an yes i know pine is pine an not oak but im paying £1450 a cube for prime oak an £350 for r/w. So its a bit of a digference in 6 doors an the price of ash isnt that far off oak around me so thats out of the question, shame as its the closest looking. So thats why its pine stained so i just need a good stain realy?? Any mote ideas??

[JonR]

Are these odd size doors ?

[Tomyjoiner]

Oh yes. Between 780-870wide, 1950-2050 heigh an 30-40 mm thickness. Not 1 the same.

[Meccarroll]

The thing is she cant afford 8 oak doors, so the 2 you see diwn stairs will be oak an yes i know pine is pine an not oak but im paying £1450 a cube for prime oak an £350 for r/w. So its a bit of a digference in 6 doors an the price of ash isnt that far off oak around me so thats out of the question, shame as its the closest looking. So thats why its pine stained so i just need a good stain realy?? Any mote ideas??

I have used Ronseal Satin Antique Pine on pine doors before which gave them a nice warm brown tinge. You can get Ronseal varnish in Medium and Dark Oak too. I'd probably consider using a light oak water based stain first then finish with a medium to dark oak varnish.

One possibility is to make and fit the doors then leave the lady to employ a decorator to do the finish. This way you could quote for two oak doors and six pine doors and not have the problems. Whenever you do work of this nature you are always walking the tightrope trying to do a balancing act.

Good luck

[Tomyjoiner]

Thanks guys.

[Louis1984]

Hang on,

you said you want them to look euro oak?

Have you had a price for character grade american white oak?

Much cheaper