I've had a plan to stain these chairs from the start of the project.   Red oak looks very 80's-furniture with just a clear finish, which wasn't the look I wanted.   I did toy with the idea of using Rubio "mint" to neutralize the pink tone to make it look more like white oak.  Ultimately, after watching this video, I decided to use the same combination of Rubio products:  intense black pre-color, black oil 2C, and sheen plus.  I thought I'd compare it to the black I achieved on the base of my media console, which was made from the same red oak but was ebonized with iron acetate.  The black finish will minimize the appearance of the borer holes and will provide a good contrast with the woven Danish cord.

With all components sanded to 180, I water-popped the surfaces, removed the fuzz with a maroon scrubbing pad, vacuumed the dust, and wiped everything down with mineral spirits.

To get the hang of the pre-color product, I started with the two backrest frames.   Once woven, only the corners will have wood showing, so they were perfect for experimenting.  What worked well for me was to brush-on the stain on one segment at a time and then use a maroon pad to work it into the grain.  In the time it took to finish one segment, the product was starting to haze over - the signal to use a cloth to buff off the excess.

Once the backrests were done, I used the same process for the chair frames.  For the bulk of the work, I applied the stain with the chair upside down.  After all visible surfaces were stained, I flipped the chair upright and completed the remainder.

Tomorrow, the stain will be fully dried and I'll start on the oil/wax finish.  Not a bad way to spend the 1st day of the new year.  😀