How to get this wenge finish

[bajerovaquero]

Hello everybody!
I´m about to finishing this bass

I was wondering about get some grain contrast in the wenge top when finishing. I know very well that some types of finish like oil tend to make wenge dark and hide the contrast in the grain so how do they get this? :

 

[MPU]

That colour variation is in the wood, not in the finish. Your piece of wood is sawn different way than the one on the pic below it. No way of making them look similar.

 

[Jay Jillard]

yeah, second pic is flat sawn, yours is likely quarter or rift. you'l probably notice your top has high contrast grain on the sides, but not on the top.


edit:

but i find that to not darken wenge too much, i just sand to a high grit and buff the wood itself, it doesn't actually need a finish on it.

 

[bajerovaquero]

Yes its clear there is no way to get grain pattern this is riftsawn wenge on the top and flatsawn in the headstock. My main concern is about get some red color in the clear part of grain.
In my previous bass I used some quartersawn wenge and filled the grain with shellac and pumice then finished with water based poly. Unexpectedly I got some nice contrast between both parts of the grain. Later I installed a ramp on that bass with some quartersawn wenge I used some teak oil and the piece looks almost black...
Just look to the lower horn of the lefay bass, its not so flatsawn there but the contrast looks good to my eyes.
Let me know

 

[line6man]

Why would you want to put a finish on Wenge?

 

[Smilodon]

Good light and a bit of skills in photography.

The picture you linked seems to be very bright and saturated. Just look at the red silk on the strings and the black hardware.

I did discover today that Z-poxy makes wenge a bit more redish brown than Tru-Oil, but also a bit darker. Maybe a gloss finish that doesn't penetrate as well will give the best contrast. Mind you, that's just a guess and not tested.

 

[lbridenstine]

It might depend on the particular piece of wenge. The one I have on my guitar turns black with the finishes I've tried, although I haven't tried anything water based, so I'm curious about that. I'll see if we have anything water based that I can test it with and let you know if I do.

I made this bowl out of panga panga, which is basically the same as wenge and it's much lighter in color even with finish.

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Someone told me that wenge darkens with age, so it's possible that the bowl wood and the picture of the bass you like the finish on are more freshly cut and the ones on my guitar and your bass have aged a bit or something.

 

[lbridenstine]

I just found this on a hardwood floor site.

Wenge
COLOR: Heartwood is yellow-brown when freshly cut, turning dark brown to almost black with alternate layers of light and dark. Sapwood is yellowish-white and clearly demarcated from heartwood. - See more at: Invalid Link Removed

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Top portion is finished with water-based urethane; bottom with oil-modified polyurethane. - See more at: Invalid Link Removed
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​

 

[lbridenstine]

Alright, here you go. I tried water based polycrylic (Minwax)

That's the lightest I've gotten a finish to look on this (without white wash) so far. I don't know if you could get the yellow look without having a piece that already looks like that or maybe bleaching the wood.

 

[bajerovaquero]

Thanks for responding!
Good answers specially the photo trick thing.
I´ve read a little about panga panga Its from the same genus looks like an interesting wood to work with
Looks like I´ll be making some test samples and make a decision.
BTW I will put a finish on it since the body is made of brasilian cedar: