I'm finishing my lap steel project much the same as the way Koch does it on his website-- with Danish oil. I don't mind the dings it's likely to get.
The project is cherry over top of mahogany, and I'd like there to be more contrast between the wood tones, so I was considering staining the mahogany a bit first.
I really don't mind if the stain ends up fading a bit over time... the whole project is to make a bit of a workhorse, not a work of art. Consequently, I really want the stain/tint/whatever to be something that's easily available at any Home Depot or WalMart or whatnot. I don't want to play the supplies-chasing game on this one.
I've done a bit of searching, but I'm not finding a definitive answer to these questions:
1. Can I use any oil-based stain and still have the Danish Oil "work" properly over top? Would it be easier to tint the Danish Oil for the subtle color change, instead? I know you can buy pre-tinted, but I already have heaps of Oil and would rather work with what I have, unless the stain is $10 or more, in which case it's more economical to just buy more coloured Danish Oil.
2. If I'm careful and go with a light touch, will simple painter's tape be enough to draw a "line" separating the top from the bottom? I know that oils and stains are intended to soak into the grain, and therefore it may want to creep up into the Cherry. But the cherry, being a fairly dense wood, might not be as much of a "sponge" as the mahogany, so I'm hoping that the tape will be enough to deter any border-crossing stain.
Thanks for any help!
Greg