Help me salvage a freebie

[Robert Cox]

I was given an old cherry bureau.

Stripping is in progress. Once the top was cleaned it turned out beautiful while wet. I think it will liik nice when done.

Now the problem. It looks like the routed(?) edges and all trim are some other wood. really pale.

Can I stain them with a cherry stain to darken them so they don't look like heck?

Thanks

R

[Chris Padilla]

Any pics, Robert? :D

[Bob Aquino]

Sure you can. If you have an asortment of stains available, you can try and mix an match to see if you can come close to an overall even color. Best to find an inconspicuous area on the piece (if there is one) or use a similar color wood and experiment on that. Many old pieces were made of different species and if they are stripped down, you have to come up with an overall color that compliments the whole.

[Jim Becker]

I rebuilt a similar mahogany piece a number of years ago. The original top and sides were veneered secondary woods and the edges had been glazed/toned to match the main surface. Unfortunately, when you strip, you also remove that "camoflage" from the edges that made it look like the main species in color. You will either need to duplcate the process to your liking or replace the top, etc., with solid stock. I chose the latter on my piece as the veneer was shot and peeling...

[Todd Burch]

Robert, get some toner and apply it to the raw wood. It does wonders for blending different colored woods to the same "tone".

I guess that's why they call it toner!!.... I always think of Arnold Schwarzenegger in Kindergarten Cop... "It's not a tumor", or, "It's not toner" (I'll go back to work now...)

[Hal Flynt]

That's the way a lot of the older stuff was made. Main wood for the body and molding form a variety of woods.

I contacted Jeff Jewitt at Homestead Finishing when I was first faced with this situation, and he was kind enough to recommend some specific colors of his TransTint line http://www.homesteadfinishing.com/htdocs/TransTint.htm (also carried at Woodcraft). They are liquid concentrates that are soluable in water, alcohol, mineral spirits, etc. I personally make dye stains using 90% isopropal alcohol and experiment till I get the color right but too light and then build the color up with successive coats. Another advantage to these is that you can tint the sealer and top coats to adjust the colors as you wish.

I also bought a color wheel at an art store to help with the initial color. I have the following colors:
Honey Amber (used the most often)
Reddish Brown
Dark Walnut
Medium Brown

Correcting Colors
Red (reduces the Green)
Green (reduces the red)
Black (darkens)
Yellow (ambers the color)

I think this is my setup and I haven't found any colors I can't match so far (probably find one this weekend).

I would find the color that looks right (although too light, it's a lot easier to make it darker than lighter) and build it up to the right shade before sealing and top coating. (Top coating will also darken so consider that). Then if there was a color shift or other correction to make, I would make it in a glaze or the top coat. I use a lot of shellac and it easy to tint just one area and then finish the whole area.

[Waymon Campbell]

I always think of Arnold Schwarzenegger in Kindergarten Cop... "It's not a tumor", or, "It's not toner" (I'll go back to work now...)

Todd - Watch out for those lacquer fumes...they are go'in to your head.

[Robert Cox]

Thanks everyone.

[Mike Wilkins]

I have done similar restorations, and here's what I have seen. Some
furniture manufacturers use different woods in building a piece, and rely
on stains/glazes to unify the color, or attempt to match a primary wood
veneer such as mahogany. Your best bet is to use similar techniques to
blend the different species; you may even have to stain parts of it with a
different blend or custom color a stain. If you do, try to stay with the same
manufacturer for all your coloring for compatability reasone(I use Minwax).

Good luck and watch those fingers.