So you did the gloss with no stain and the satin with stain... did you try the stain with no stain?

Yes, the problem is adding the stain to the topcoat (the waterlox in this case). Generally you only do that if you need to even out the color of the wood.

It sounds like you have some nice mahogany. Personally what I would do to bring out the natural beauty of the wood is use a dye rather than a stain, and applied directly to the wood. Then apply the WL on top of that (well actually I would apply a few coats of thinned tung oil first if I was doing the project myself, but that's a bit much to ask from a contractor).

Something you should know about gloss vs satin: satin is gloss with fillers added to give the satin look. Multiple coats of satin can therefore reduce the clarity of the finish. The "purist" way to get a satin finish is to apply the gloss finish then use steel wool (sometimes with wax) to bring it down to a satin finish. An alternate method is to use the gloss finish but apply satin for the last coat.

Good luck and let me know if you have any other questions. I like to use expensive figured and exotic woods for my projects, so I am all about bringing out the natural beauty of the underlying materials.

duh, i typed stain with no stain, i meant SATIN!

Marcydc -- If I understand your question (!), we have not tried satin finish over unstained mahog. Our sense is that it would be too light, based on the look of the gloss over unstained.

Chiefneil -- thanks so much...I think you're putting me on the right track. What is the difference between a dye and a stain? What would be some brand names to suggest to them? Is there any advantage or disadvantage to mixing gloss and satin in the last coat? And given this application (which will get some surface wear, very infrequent water splashing), how many coats would you apply?

Cheifneil is right on the money with that advice. Wood stain is essentially a really thinned out paint that obscures the figure and clarity of wood. That's all well and good if you have cheap, uninteresting wood but in your case you have some primo stuff! If you want to change the color of the wood go with a Transtint dye. Dyes do not obscure the wood. Also, mahogany darkens over time (oxidation) so be aware. Oil based penetrating finishes (like Waterlox- an excellent product) tend to accelerate the oxidative process.

Follow Cheifneil's advice and you're well on your way to some beautiful wood!

There's a ton of information online comparing dyes vs stains. I just did a quick google and this guy sums it up pretty well:

http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/woodnews/march_2006/alan_noel_march.html

The two dyes I've used are Moser and Transtint. Moser is a powder you mix with water, and transtint is a liquid that you can mix with water or some other solvent (I forget what exactly, since I always use water). I buy them from Lee Valley and Rockler. Using water as the solvent raises the grain slightly and requires a light touch of knock-down sanding afterwards to smooth the wood back out.

To be honest, I'm not sure you'll be able to capture the iridescent quality of the mahogany with a satin finish. I suspect the satin is breaking up the reflectivity of the grain that causes the iridescence. But it's worth some experimentation if you're up for it. Take your gloss-finish sample and rub it with steel wool to see if it softens the glossy look enough for you. Buy a few grades of steel wool and work your way down from finest to coarsest to see if you get a look you like. If you've ever used a "corrective" type of car "wax" like a polish or glaze, you can also try that instead of the steel wool (assuming you have some laying around). A very fine sandpaper like 1000 or 600 might also do the trick (might want to wet-sand if you go that route).

I've never personally used Waterlox so I can't comment on how many coats you need. If it's being applied with a brush then usually 2-3 coats are sufficient.

I found another article on mahogany here you might like. I'm glad to see that the author also recommends finishing with gloss then softening by hand-rubbing (always like to see confirmation that I'm not full of cr*p, lol).

http://www.craftsman-style.info/finishing/071-mahogany.htm

I do feel obligated to point out that my viewpoint is that of an "artisan" versus "contractor/production". Your contractor may well reject these suggestions as too labor intensive or fussy.

laranbrian-- thanks for chiming in with such helpful info! Glad to have the Transtint name to suggest, as well as another vote for Waterlox.

And chiefneil -- many thanks for this and for these links. It sounds like that 'iridescent' effect is called 'figuring.' And what I'm reading in the description of stain vs dye sounds exactly like what I'm seeing on this sample. I feel validated!

I went to the Transtint site; not sure if this will want to be 'brown mahogany' or 'red mahogany' (which might be too red) or a combo. I think a lot of sampling is in order...if I can get them to do it. But then I already have a reputation for being finicky on this project.

But at least I'm now armed with info and can suggest something different to try. I'm very grateful.

On this cabinet I used a combination of aniline dye, garnet shellac, and a gel stain toning coat. Probably more involved that what you're after.

sombreuil (or can I call you Mongrel?)-- That is beautiful. Gorgeous wood. I learned from the Woodoworking Forum, courtesy of bobsmyuncle, that the 'iridescent' effect I was talking about is called 'chatoyance.' You've got a whole lotta chatoyance there...I bet it's beautiful in person.

Your technique might be beyond what I can get our guys to do; and maybe it's not quite right for a countertop. But it is certainly another vote for dye versus stain. Thank you!

Hey seaduck, I just made a post with some photos of my latest woodworking project if you'd like to check it out.

Here is a link that might be useful: figured maple and cherry project

Chiefneil, that is SO beautiful. Creative, too!

I would have panicked at the purple stage.

Talking to our contractor now about getting more wood scraps for samples. I worry that whoever does the samples (initially, a guy with a very good rep at the paint shop) won't have the patience to try all the combos, including sanding/rubbing, that I would do if I were doing it myself.

Wish me luck! I'll let you know how it turns out.

We just recently finished 10" wide pine flooring with spectacular results. I can't see why the method we used would not have the same results with mahogany. We did alot of research so hopefully this will help you. We started off with a gel stain. We mixed many combinations until we found the perfect color. Gel stain penetrates the wood more evenly. Sand the wood well so it will take the stain. With a foam brush, brush on the stain and with a cloth rub the stain in with a circular motion while wiping excess off. Brush on a total of 3 coats with Waterlox Original Sealer/Finisher Medium Sheen letting it dry 24 hrs between coats. At this stage it will be glossy and not necessarily smooth. After 3rd coat sand wood well, use tack cloth to take off all dust and do final coat with Waterlox Satin finish using a lambswool applicator. Let dry 24 hrs. The results are just unbelievable, soft and smooth and the wood is rich and warm. We wanted to buy Carlisle flooring but the cost more then exceeded our budget. They also finsh with Waterlox. Once finished we laid the sample on the floor and it was a perfect match. We just completed the floors and I have no pictures but will be happy to post if interested. Sadly I'll have to get my son to do it otherwise I would have done it myself. HTH