al ladd
10-05-2023, 9:32 PM
I have a dissatisfied client on a job where they wanted me to match an existing set of stained boxes with seven more. They told me the box was "cherry case with madrone burl center". They sent me a sample box. In fact it's made from a very light wood , I think maple, stained quite dark, more like a dark mahogany. I told them I don't have staining experience or skills, and that sapele was the closest thing in a naturally finished wood to their sample. I sent them a sample I made of sapele with figured sapele center cut from pommelle guitar-quality figured wood, so I had more thickness to make center veneered panel match frame elevation exactly. This was a request they made that was an improvement from their existing boxes, which had a significant and inconsistent elevation difference between frame and panel. They weren't happy with the sample's color, insisting I make the box from actual cherry (even though i told them it wasn't made from cherry), with madrone burl center. I could only find madrone burl of that size in commercial veneer, making the job very challenging to match the panel and frame elevation, but i did it.
But now they're unhappy with the lack of color match. I had stained the cherry somewhat darker with ZIP Guard all in one stain, trying to match the amount of stain I used on a darkened piece of cherry to match the sample box, knowing the cherry will continue to darken in coming weeks. I followed the staining with 3 coats of Sutherland-wells Gloss polymerized tung oil finish. But the client insists the finish is too light and wants it fixed.
I'm unwilling to mess with this more, as it's just not my baliwick. Anyone want to, or know know of someone who'd like to take this on? Client will pay well.
Below photos show sample box next to my sapelle sample, and then the cherry box, one of seven I sent them that they want darkened.
508594508595
But now they're unhappy with the lack of color match. I had stained the cherry somewhat darker with ZIP Guard all in one stain, trying to match the amount of stain I used on a darkened piece of cherry to match the sample box, knowing the cherry will continue to darken in coming weeks. I followed the staining with 3 coats of Sutherland-wells Gloss polymerized tung oil finish. But the client insists the finish is too light and wants it fixed.
I'm unwilling to mess with this more, as it's just not my baliwick. Anyone want to, or know know of someone who'd like to take this on? Client will pay well.
Below photos show sample box next to my sapelle sample, and then the cherry box, one of seven I sent them that they want darkened.
508594508595