Color Matching

[Patrick LaFree]

Hi all,

I recently took on a project where I am matching some existing cabinets finish. The cabinets are stained maple. I took a door in to my local paint shop to get it color matched but it didnt turn out quite right.

I believe the color match is correct but the maple im using may be tighter grain or hard vs soft. The stain did not match after two coats. The home owner is okay with this but Im wondering if there is a way to tint the wood darker.

At this point I have 3 coats of conversion varnish on top of the stain so id like to avoid sanding everything down.

Thanks for your time!

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[John TenEyck]

I'd say it's a little late now. Most finishes have a max. mil thickness and I would guess you are already there with 3 coats. So unless you want to sand it all back to bare wood I'd say you're out of luck. But in case you're not, then you can tint your CV and spray that to adjust the color. This involves making a sample to match what you now have and then testing different colors and concentrations until one or two tinted coats of finish move the color enough to match the customer's cabinets. It's not always straightforward and even if you are successful in matching the color it still might not look exactly the same because the original was likely not done this way. Another approach would be to wipe on a glaze to adjust the color, and then shoot another coat or two of CV. Again, assuming you can add more layers w/o risk of total finish failure, and also assuming the materials are compatible.

Color matching is not an easy task. It's not just about getting the color right, but also about getting the right look. That means reproducing the method used to create the original as nearly as possible. Sometimes that means using dye, other times stain, sometimes toner, or one or more of preceding plus sealers and glazes. There's no set recipe, but careful observation of the original often gives good clues as to how it was done. And one thing is sure; cheap cabinets (not saying the ones you're matching are) use fast, simple processes; more expensive ones might have many steps.

Next time, make samples from start to finish before you actually put anything on your project. Looking at the original it does look like the finish was done with stain, either a typical wiping stain or maybe a spray, no wipe stain. SW's makes a terrific line of stain called BAC Wiping Stain, actually a dye stain. It can be used like a traditional wiping stain or a spray, no wipe stain. It's made in several stock colors but SW will custom color match, too. I've spent an hour more than once with a tech. there to tweak the color until the match is really right. Even then, it's still just a guess because the color will shift after the sealers and finish coats are applied, and you may have to go back and get the color adjusted, or do it yourself as I have. But if you persevere you can get the color match so close that no one will know which is which. Good luck.

John

[Patrick LaFree]

Thanks for the advice John!

I did not think about tinting the varnish. I will test it on some sample pieces.

[Edwin Santos]

Now that the wood is sealed with a finish, the easy way for you to accomplish what you want is with a glaze. I see John mentioned it above. The good news is that it is totally reversible. You should be able to find plenty of info about the process on YouTube or elsewhere on the web. Brush or wipe on liberally and remove to taste with a dry brush. If you don't like it, wipe it all off before it is completely dry. Once dry, you should not have a problem topcoating with another coat of CV.
I have had good success with the Rustoleum brown glaze you can find at Home Depot. I think Rustoleum has a more extensive line of glaze called Chalked also available at HD.

By the way you can tint the glaze with Transtint in order to tweak it. It's a little bit of an art, but good finishers can match finish colors exactly in this way.