Darkening a wooden worktop?

[samdale]

I'm fitting out a home office and want to use a piece of wooden worktop for the desk. This will run wall to wall and be 900 X ~3000mm.

I'm loathed to pay ~£600 for a piece of wood and wondered if a cheaper, lighter wood could be successfully darkened? Don't need to worry about usual kitchen restrictions, food safe etc and I'd probably varnish it afterwards. Is this possible or am I just going to end up with a patchy mess?

On a side note, this is going to weigh quite a lot. Supported on 3 sides, am I going to need a leg in the middle?

[9xxNick]

You can certainly darken light wood with a stain (many options available).Just ensure that the stain can penetrate the timber, so it needs to be clean, bare wood to take the stain evenly. It may make any grain show up more depending on the wood you're using.

3m is a fair length for a flat board but should be feasible without a central support if it's well supported at the wall and has a rigid rail at the front, possibly even one which imposes an upward force in the middle of the length to remove any tendency to sag.

[Camoradi]

I've had decent results using Liberon ethanol based wood dye followed by Briwax on pine shelving.

Screwfix have light oak and dark oak in stock generally

https://www.screwfix.com/p/liberon-ethanol-based-w...

[Simpo Two]

Does dark wood cost more than light wood?

Anyway, wood stain is the answer. However they can be unpredictable as the results depend on the substrate. I got this sample pack and find it very useful: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Chestnut-Spirit-Stain-Sam...

If it's 40mm thick and supported at the ends and back I think you'll be OK without a middle leg. You can always add one later if needed.

[2354519y]

Wood dye (e.g. Colrons) applied with tack cloth is a decent solution. You can control how dark you want to go by applying as many/few coats as you like

[samdale]

Simpo Two said:

Does dark wood cost more than light wood?

Certainly oak and beech seem the cheapest. Black Oak/black walnut/wenge is the depth of colour I'm after but not at that price. Her tendency to pour many (dribbley) pots of tea during the day means a varnish finish is probably best.

Plan is 40mm worktop, radius front edge with a 2x4 batten along the 3 walls. I could put 2x4 vertically at each end and paint the same as the walls I guess. Wouldn't show too much and hidden mostly by the chairs.

[Nico Adie]

Black walnut lightens considerably over time, so at least you can save yourself the pain of finding that out after spending hundreds of pounds on it!

[David_M]

I haven't actually bought from them, but I have bookmarked this site for the same reasons (and about half of your £600 figure):

https://www.worktop-express.co.uk/wood_worktops/wa...

[Simpo Two]

samdale said:

Simpo Two said:

Does dark wood cost more than light wood?

Certainly oak and beech seem the cheapest. Black Oak/black walnut/wenge is the depth of colour I'm after but not at that price. Her tendency to pour many (dribbley) pots of tea during the day means a varnish finish is probably best.

Plan is 40mm worktop, radius front edge with a 2x4 batten along the 3 walls. I could put 2x4 vertically at each end and paint the same as the walls I guess. Wouldn't show too much and hidden mostly by the chairs.

Decent thinking. So now it just comes down to how the stain works with the wood, and a finish that won't react with it or fail to dry. I'd do some tests on offcuts rather than risk spoiling the main one.

Walnut does lighten with exposure to light, but it takes years and won't actually go light, more 'mellows' to something like a teak colour.

[wolfracesonic]

How dark do you want to go OP? If you want an almost ebony finish, buy yourself some oak, steel wool and vinegar. Here’s some oak I ebonised last year, dead easy to do; Google ‘iron acetate and oak’ for what to do.

[samdale]

David_M said:

I haven't actually bought from them, but I have bookmarked this site for the same reasons (and about half of your £600 figure):

https://www.worktop-express.co.uk/wood_worktops/wa...

That's the site I was looking at. Black oak/Black american walnut are ~£600. Beech is £220, oak/ash are £315 so I guess it comes down to which pale/cheap wood will have the nicer looking grain. I have Walnut in the kitchen and want something darker than that.

A stain does look feasible. The gap I'm filling is actually closer to 2800 so I'll have a nice offcut for testing.

Of course as a member of PH, I have also considered the use of fire to add a bit of colour

[samdale]

wolfracesonic said:

How dark do you want to go OP? If you want an almost ebony finish, buy yourself some oak, steel wool and vinegar. Here’s some oak I ebonised last year, dead easy to do; Google ‘iron acetate and oak’ for what to do.

Cool effect, however I have a "shade of brown" rather than "shade of black" image in my head, IYSWIM.

[Simpo Two]

samdale said:

That's the site I was looking at. Black oak/Black american walnut are ~£600. Beech is £220, oak/ash are £315 so I guess it comes down to which pale/cheap wood will have the nicer looking grain. I have Walnut in the kitchen and want something darker than that.

A stain does look feasible. The gap I'm filling is actually closer to 2800 so I'll have a nice offcut for testing.

Of course as a member of PH, I have also considered the use of fire to add a bit of colour

I think - based on no more than a hunch - that ash will take stain more than oak or beech. How about maple? As you say it all comes down to which grain you like the most. Personally I find oak a rather cold colour but you could choose a reddish stain to counter that. The options are infinite (see selection pack above!)

[samdale]

Simpo Two said:

I think - based on no more than a hunch - that ash will take stain more than oak or beech. How about maple? As you say it all comes down to which grain you like the most. Personally I find oak a rather cold colour but you could choose a reddish stain to counter that. The options are infinite (see selection pack above!)

I think that's the best option. Use my nice long offcut. Apply half a dozen stains. If they're too light, apply another coat of each until I find one I like.