Rail color change

[rockeratheart]

Has anyone changed the color of their rails from light oak to black? I have no problems with the light oak color itself, but I seem to have all black everything in my system, and it also seems like that looks best with the rest of the room.
I don't know how to change/stain/paint correctly to get the black look with woodgrain. Thanks to all the woodworkers out there who might answer this!!
ben


:bowdown:

 

[C.A.P]

I have done a set of Quest rails , as well as 1000 of wood floors in the last 18 years.

Very easily done. There are a few ways to go about it. First and most work is the sanding down to raw wood and DYING them with black aniline dye and re staining them. Then spraying them with Nitrocelous Lacquer.(Not recomended for the novice) OR ,.

THE EASY BUTTON !

you can plain out take a scotch bright pad to the wood rails, scuff them lightly and spray them with a black paint ! Then coat it with a satin Poly spray can. DONE right it looks just like factory or better.

 

[Kenscollick]

The easy button

As Chris said if you want to retain the wood grain you must remove all of the finish once done you could use a light body black stain. the iffy part is removing all of the finish. If not done completely you could end up with a real mess.

My prodigys came with cherry rails, nice looking but they just didnt fit in. I scuffed them up with 0000 steel wool, wiped them clean with a tack rag, then went with semi-flat black spray can.


http://www.martinloganowners.com/~tdacquis/forum/showthread.php?t=169

 

[sebrof2000]

I bought the light oak rails then stained them to match my rack. I re-stained my rack at the same time.
I used a product by Minwax that contains stain and polyurethane called Polyshades. I believe it comes in black.
I sanded the rails with steel wool to get to bare wood, then 000 steel wool till smooth. Then 3 coats with 000 steel wool between each coat. I like the product for small jobs like this one, although the real woodworking guys may be cringing as they read this. It's a stain so you still see the wood pattern.
My system pic shows the finished product.

 

[Oxford]

I have done a set of Quest rails , as well as 1000 of wood floors in the last 18 years.

Very easily done. There are a few ways to go about it. First and most work is the sanding down to raw wood and DYING them with black aniline dye and re staining them. Then spraying them with Nitrocelous Lacquer.(Not recomended for the novice) OR ,.

C.A.P.,

What does the aniline black dye do? Does it highlight the wood grain?

 

[C.A.P]

aniline Dye will give you a completely black uniform color. Very few stains will be dark black in the summer wood and spring growth. Its not a easy product to work with as you have to know how to use it. It all depends on what you want the wood to look like . Simple spray can will give you black , but the grain in oak will be subdued. If you want the grain to show and be black you need to go to raw wood and know what you are doing.

Anyone interested in having rails redone who does not want to tackle the job contact me ! As stated I have 18 years in the wood flooring business.