Dark Brown Mahogany Finish.

Mahogany wood is very popular in the furniture industry. Much furniture in various styles is made from mahogany wood. The Chippendale furniture is one of the furniture models that use much of mahogany wood. This wood has a medium hardness and is quite easily handled in the woodworking industry. Mahogany wood also has a nice grain pattern and strong character but with a soft texture. Many finishing models can be generated; the transparent finish with a variety of colors can be produced with a very nice appearance. In this post we will write about a transparent dark brown color finish for mahogany wood. It is a dark finish but still shows the grain pattern of the wood. In this finishing system we use lacquer finish (NC system); all clear coatings used are the NC clear coating.

Here is the finishing process step by step

step panel for dark brown mahogany finish

• Sap stains and equalizer stains

Mahogany wood has a basic color that varies from place to place, ranging from the white color in the sapwood to the reddish brown in the heartwood. To make a transparent finishing color with uniform color, then we need to make the wood base uniform before applying all finishing processes. A brown sap stain is used to coat the wood with light color, meanwhile the redwood is killed and covered with the green stain (equalizer stain). The sap stain and equalizer are applied by spray selectively to the part necessary until an even and uniform color is obtained. 

stain is applied by spray

• Application of stain

After a uniform wood base color is obtained, then the next process is the application of stain to the overall surface. The stain is in the dark brown color to bring the light brown mahogany wood to a dark brown finish color. The dark brown aniline dye stain is the best choice to color the mahogany wood because it brings the wood to the dark brown but still shows the wood's character clearly. 

Spray stain by wet spray evenly to overall surface. It needs quite a thick stain to bring mahogany wood with light brown to the dark brown color. It is better to spray the stain in 2 or 3 layers instead of using the thick stain and spraying 1 layer. The too-strong stain is rather difficult to spray evenly and tends to get uneven coloration. By spraying 2 layers, we can more easily get an even layer and a more consistent color result. Apply stain by 2 layers of wet spray and let it dry for a few minutes.

• Wash coat application

The application of wash coat is to coat and protect the stain before glaze application. Wash coat applied by spray evenly to the entire surface. Wait for about 20 minutes until the wash coat is dry. Scuff sand the wash coat when it is dry to cut the stiff wood fibers to obtain the smooth wood surface. 

glaze is wiped and brushed

• Glaze application.

Glaze was applied to fill and color the inside grains and pores.  A dark brown glaze (van Dyke brown glaze) is applied by brushing it on the surface. Do some highlighting with steel wool to enhance the beauty of the grain and pores. Let the glaze dry completely before going to the next step.

 highlight the glaze

• Sealer application.

The sealer is layered on the glaze to protect the glaze and prepare the smooth surface before topcoat application. Apply the sealer to the entire surface. The application should be a wet spray evenly all over the surfaces. Wait for about 30 minutes to let the sealer dry, and then do sanding to produce a smooth surface. Sand the sealer with #280 stearated sandpaper to provide the smooth surface.  

• Application of second glaze

The glaze is applied by brush to fill in the carving, crevices, and gaps to make it look more "lifelike" and enhance the form of the furniture product. It also burnishes the edges to make more antique impression of the product. 

 dry brush glaze

• 2nd sealer application.

The second sealer is applied to protect the second glaze and to give more film build to the finish. The sealer is applied by evenly spraying the overall surface. Let it dry for 45 minutes and sand with #280 sandpaper. 

the dark brown mahogany finish

• The application of topcoat.

Topcoat is the finishing material to provide the final film layer to protect the underneath finish and form the finishing gloss. The semi-gloss topcoat is used for this finish. A topcoat with 45 sheen is applied by wet spray to this finish. Let the topcoat dry for about 1 hour and check the result. If a smooth surface final finish is obtained, then the finishing process is done, but if the surface is still rough, then another layer of topcoat is needed.