Mission Oak Finish
©2000 by Jeff Jewitt
Not reproducible in any form, written or electronic, without permission

The traditional method of finishing oak in the mission or Craftsman style involved exposing the furniture to very strong ammonia fumes in an airtight chamber. Ammonia fuming was preferred by many of the original makers like Stickley because it colored the glassy ray fleck cells as well as the softer wood, establishing an even tone throughout the wood. An alternative method which yields excellent results is based on the steps below as is the method employed by many small shops producing Mission Furniture as well as larger factories like Stickley.

These finishing steps also introduce you to the technique of applying a glaze over a dyed surface. This techniques allows for subtle manipulation of the overall color by choosing different glaze colors. We'll suggest starting formulas, but feel free to experiment. 

Preparation

Proper surface preparation is of utmost importance in finishing oak. Sand the wood to 150 grit and pre-raise the grain with distilled water. Sand with 180 grit when dry and remove all the dust from the pores. You can use a brush or vacuum, or blowing the dust off  with compressed air. The pores must be clean and free of all sawdust before proceeding so check the surfaces carefully. The steps below refer to the bookcase pictured at right.

Step One - Staining

You can leave the wood unstained if you wish, but I like to apply a dye to establish the predominate undertone of the piece. This can range anywhere from a light tan colored dye to a dark reddish brown. It's important to experiment on scraps and carry the finish all the way to the end. This is the only way to tell if the color of the dye is right. For the bookcase pictured above, I used a mix of 1 part TransTint® Medium Brown and 1 part TransTint® Dark Mission Brown.  I mixed 1 ounce of this mix to two quarts water and applied the dye with a gravity spray gun, but you can use any technique you wish. Just apply the dye by flooding all surfaces and blot up the excess. Let it dry 8 hours before scuff sanding lightly with maroon grade (very fine) synthetic steel wool. When the piece has dried, you may notice a lighter color to the pores. This is normal when using water dyes.

Step Two - Sealing

Apply one coat of a 1-lb. cut shellac. You can use any colored shellac you wish, either garnet, amber or light. For convenience, you can order SealCoat pre-mixed 2 lb. cut shellac or our 5 lb cut pre-mixed extra pale dewaxed shellac. Scuff sand after the shellac has dried with 320 grit paper. Vacuum all the dust from the pores before the next step. We recommend shellac for the "punch" it gives the dyed oak, and works very well to isolate it from the glaze used in the next step.

Step Three - Glazing

The importance of this step cannot be stressed enough. One of the qualities that makes oak attractive is its distinctive pore structure.  By emphasizing these pores with a dark glaze, the true Mission effect is achieved.  With solvent based finishes like lacquer, shellac and varnish, use an oil-based glaze. For water base products, we recommend using a water base glaze. 

Apply the glaze with a natural bristle brush, working it across the grain to make sure it gets into the pores. Wipe the excess off with a dry rag. If the color is too dark, or it dries quickly, apply some solvent for the glaze to the rag to help remove the glaze. Let the glaze dry according to the manufacturer's instructions. If you spray lacquer like I did, you can spray the lacquer after about two hours dry time with the oil base glaze.  For other finishes, I recommend at least 24 -48 hours. With the water base glaze and water base topcoats, one hour is all that's necessary, but if you added extender, adjust the dry time to as much as 6-12 hours. To check if the glaze is dry enough to topcoat, wipe it with a dry cloth. No glaze should come off.

Step Four - Sealing

A mission finish on oak looks best with as little finish as possible, so I applied 3 thinned coats of Behlen satin Qualalacq, sprayed with an HVLP gun. If you're using varnish, one or two coats of Waterlox varnish are fine. Two or three coats of shellac can be used and makes an attractive finish. 1 or 2 coats of a water based finish can be used*, but it's a good idea to lay down a coat of dewaxed shellac over the glaze if you use an oil based glaze. If you use a water based glaze, you can apply any water base finish over it.  

* For hand or spray application we suggest General Finishes High Performance Polyurethane.  

Step Five - Waxing

Apply a paste wax to the furniture after the final coat is dry if you wish.  Use a dark wax like Antiquax Brown and apply with 0000 steel wool. Buff the wax as soon as it hazes over to leave a soft sheen. 

Other Options

If you are interested in a very simple, all hand application guide to Stickley Mission Finishes, click here.

Got a question? E-mail us at info@homesteadfinishing.com

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