Help matching red and white oak PLEASE!

[Dan Zemcik]

Hi everyone I am looking for some help with a finishing problem..The project is a platform bed and most of it is white oak. The white oak has a brown tint to it. The doors on it would preferably be made of oak plywood..The oak ply I have is red oak..The finished project needs to be a yellow/ golden oak color to match an existing project...Has anyone done this before by any chance? I have tried a few different stains without luck..I am open to dyes, but have no experience with them, nor sure what color dye I should order.
Thanks!

[David Thompson 27577]

Yes, I have experience with this, but no, you're not going to like my answer.

Go get some white oak plywood -- hopefully some that has the same brown tint as your boards.

Then build the project, and finish it as you like.


(Note -- in my experience, it is almost impossible to stain-match dissimilar woods. If you have enough leftover boards, I guess you could try various transtint dyes. Dye the whit oak reddish, and the red oak brownish...... Do this and keep records like a mad scientist. (Two drops of brown, in 3.82 ounces of water.......)

And when you get the correct match (both for the white and the red oak), you'll be ready.

Last time I tried that, it took way too long, was way too frustrating, and used up every piece of wood I had. And It still wasn't a very good match)

[Chris Padilla]

Dan,

If you could post some pictures of your white and red oak along with some pics of the final color you are striving for, we might be able to assist you better.

[Tony Bilello]

Yes, I have experience with this, but no, you're not going to like my answer.

Go get some white oak plywood -- hopefully some that has the same brown tint as your boards.

Then build the project, and finish it as you like.


(Note -- in my experience, it is almost impossible to stain-match dissimilar woods. If you have enough leftover boards, I guess you could try various transtint dyes. Dye the whit oak reddish, and the red oak brownish...... Do this and keep records like a mad scientist. (Two drops of brown, in 3.82 ounces of water.......)

And when you get the correct match (both for the white and the red oak), you'll be ready.

Last time I tried that, it took way too long, was way too frustrating, and used up every piece of wood I had. And It still wasn't a very good match)

+ 1 here too. The only way I could see it happen is if you were going darker than golden oak you could tint your finish. The only other way would be if you were a master at tinting and using color blockers and if you were, you wouldn't be asking this question. My suggestion would also be to get white oak plywood. It will be cheaper in the long run.

[Paul Murphy]

If you want red oak to match white oak you will probable have to stain them with different stains or dyes, and/or use a toner.

I made a red oak table match white oak chairs by using a very dilute green dye on the red oak followed by brown dye. It took a while to find the right combination, and sample boards under the same lighting was the only way I could have done it. I had no idea what was used on the chairs, and knowing probably wouldn't have helped.

I have seen the factory kitchen cabinets made from hickory with enough toner to make the sap and heart match. Not my ideal finish, but it does help match color.

[Jim Becker]

You need white oak plywood...remember that the first step in finishing is choosing your materials. Red and white oak are very different species in both color and other aspects. Unless you are going to be heavily staining the piece, it's going to be difficult to "match" these two species.

Your other option would be to use a contrasting species for the panels that must be made with sheet goods. Or...make your own glued up panels of solid red oak.