Accentuate grain.

[Jeff]

Not ready yet, but how do you get the grain to really stand out without using a contrasting colour? Thought of putting initial stain on straight, and then slightly weaker stain in the same colour. Will this work? or is there a better alternative?
Open to suggestions. Stain I was thinking of is a Jarrah colour, as I like the richness of it, but thought it may hide the natural grain to a degree........Jeff

[wokkaboy]

Hey Jeff,
there are 2 options to accentuate the grain.
Can use a jarrah or darker (maybe ebony) grain filler and sand it back and stain.
Or you could put a darker stain on and sand back. I've used a jarrah stain over ash and got good results, the grain on the ash bodies is dark enough.
Try experimenting in an area not visible, say under the pickguard to test either method.

[WeirdBits]

Gav Turner once posted about a pre-saturate technique to control how the grain takes up the stain, perhaps that would be a viable option in this case. Gav, care to chime in...

[Fretworn]

It's an ash body right? Just staining it will make probably make the grain pop. Otherwise try either of the methods Wokka suggested.

[ponch]

Hey man. Try burning it with a propane torch. I did it to an st kit and the grain pop is pretty nice.

[wokkaboy]

haha thats right Andrew, there's another method Jeff, the disclaimer is do this method at your own risk.
Have a practice first on some scrap wood so the axe isn't smoking !

[gavinturner]

hi Jeff,
I found this video very interesting and have used the technique a few times. basically you apply weakdye then strong. The strong is only taken up by the grain as the rest of the wood is saturated.



it's another option anyway.

cheers,
Gav.

[WeirdBits]

That's the one I was thinking of, thanks Gav.