OT - woodworking (staining)

[itchyTF]

I have a chair that had a busted leg. Don't have the piece so I made one out of poplar (probably should have used oak). Getting paint to reasonably match is fairly easy (computers), but how do you do it with stain? Wood species and grain affect the color so maybe it's an impossibility but just looking for what the experts suggest. The poplar is glued & screwed so I'm not about to take it off and do over with a harder hardwood. The curves don't match exactly but good enough for me. I would like to get it so it doesn't stick out like a sore thumb.

Suggestions?

 

[pintopete]

I think you are going to have a hard time getting that to match, especially with Poplar vs Oak. What is in your advantage is that it is the foot area of a leg, and not as obvious as it might be elsewhere. One option that may work is if you can find a Minwax or similar product with the stain or coloring in the finish, you may get away with it pretty well. Have you tried to stain a scrap piece of the poplar yet? I would start there, and see how that goes first.

Good luck with your project, Peter.

 

[Richard Jones]

Dark or Special Walnut Minwax. Buff the older section with some 4/0 steel wool to knock off the gloss, will help it blend.

It's a chair leg. Nobody's going to see it.

 

[itchyTF]

Home Depot had a different brand than Minwax and I did try a scrap piece of the poplar. Would the stain get progressively darker with additional applications?

 

[itchyTF]

It's a chair leg. Nobody's going to see it.

Except ME!!

 

[LVLAaron]

Home Depot had a different brand than Minwax and I did try a scrap piece of the poplar. Would the stain get progressively darker with additional applications?

Yes.

I'd take the whole chair to Woodcraft and find something that matches the original stain. No, it wont match perfectly on different wood but It'll be good enough.

 

[itchyTF]

There’s a Woodcraft in Knoxville! Got a doctor’s appointment there tomorrow, so will stop by. Thanks.

 

[Richard Jones]

It's a chair leg. Dark or Special Walnut. Let us know.

It' a chair leg.

 

[6MMsteve]

use a test pc or the cutoff and you should be able to match it somewhat, it may blotch also not sure, you can stop blotching with shellac

 

[Twdmar]

You can make poplar look like that with wood dye. If you mix it light, then progressive coats will make it darker. If you go with a stain, use gel stain. You can wipe it on and then off to get the desired color.

 

[Andy Work]

You may need to mix stains to get a match. Try it out on a piece of scrap until you get it close enough.

 

[Walt Krafft]

Remake your repair in oak.

 

[Intheshop]

Med brown Trans Tint.... about 1 drop* to 100ml lacquer.... shoot it with an automotive,jam gun(touch up gun). Should take about 3 coats.

*Better than one drop(tough to get it right) is to put the drop on a pce of plastic,then use a popsicle stick to stir into the lacquer. Just sayin.... if you get the mix too dark(which invariably happens),you'll waste a pint of clear trying to lighten it.

Not saying "never" but,rarely is industry furniture stained in the sense that it's a seperate op. Just don't have that kind of time.... tint the clear,and we can teach a monkey to spray it. We call it a "hotel finish".... start paying attention to hotel furniture. Lots to learn by just looking.

Good luck with your project.

PS,feeling spendy... get the med brown,AND red mahogany. Those two will create old Winchester "red".

 

[itchyTF]

Remake your repair in oak.

Glued & screwed in place. Don’t think the project is worth the hassle. Should have done that in the first place. Lesson learned.

 

[Twdmar]

Glued & screwed in place. Don’t think the project is worth the hassle. Should have done that in the first place. Lesson learned.

Put a coat of brown dye on it and seal that with a coat of shellac. Once it's dry, wipe on a little gel stain and wipe it off after a minute.
If you want a quick finish, you can go over that with shellac again. It's a pretty good finish if you keep it dry. But if you get that leg wet, it will sprout leaves again, Poplar is funny. Otherwise get a little spray on poly or whatever and lightly rub it after it's dry with a burlap or steel wool to blend the fix.
Finally, if you don't look at it, Noone else will.

 

[itchyTF]

Well, took it to Woodcraft and one of their people was very helpful. Looked at the sample display and picked 2 that looked like it might work. He opened the cans and applied it to my sample piece of poplar. One was too dark and the other, when held up to the chair, looked like it might work. Ended up dark but GOOD ENOUGH.
The light streak is the original wood that got sanded while blending with the poplar.