No1 stock color stain, closest match for dark furniture.

[waw44]

I am splicing two pieces of Lithgow forends to make one complete one and will need stain to color match them . BLO by itself won't do it. I swear I came across a post where someone mentiones a specific stain color number from Minwax I think, which they found to be a good match for darker SMLE furniture. I can't find the post now. Help? Any suggestions?

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[smerdon42]

I would try to get the wood back to a much lighter color first and let it dry out ( I have used a non caustic oven cleaner ) wash off with running water and let dry then I have used dark walnut stain to blend in apply the stain wipe excess off and then repeat until you get the result you like . I liked letting it dry between coats of stain .then use 50/50 BLO and metholated spirits.

[browningautorifle]

I agree with post #2, cleaning and let it dry first. I don't think Minwax has enough stain or color to do it though. If you have a MUCH lighter piece you could use die to bring it closer. Then a stain and maybe BLO...

[waw44]

Yep, that's the plan. Both pieces are getting cleaned as much as possible before the splice work. I have Fiebings dyes; Dark Brown, Walnut, Chocolate, Show Brown , but with these is fire and forget because once you get them into the wood there is no coming back. With oil based stains mixed with BLO and Turpentine there is a good degree of undo available if things don't go well. I will do some trial and error on a scrap piece first of course.

[Bindi2]

You may have two totally different specie pieces of timber. No matter what you do they will kook different. Coachwood it self also ranges from white to a red depending where in the log it came from or where the log came from.

[BurtonP]

Matching different wood species is always difficult, but if you don't mind it ending up dark reddish-brown it can work. I use Fiebings leather dye, there is a walnut shade, but I tend to use a mix of many types. I thin with linseed oil and apply as I would for linseed oil - many coats over time. If it isn't a match I can always strip it off with acetone and try again. The darker the wood the easier it is to match this way.

[Brian Dick]

You'll have better results using an alcohol based stain like Chestnut Ridge. It works on old dark wood as well as new unfinished. Try Dollar General clear ammonia for cleaning and degreasing which won't hurt anything. I wouldn't touch coachwood or any wood for that matter with any kind of oven cleaner, caustic or otherwise. Use raw linseed oil instead of boiled. It penetrates and isn't filled with chemicals to make it dry quicker.

[browningautorifle]

an alcohol based stain

Yes, they penetrate quick and then set.

[mrclark303]

You'll have better results using an alcohol based stain like Chestnut Ridge. It works on old dark wood as well as new unfinished. Try Dollar General clear ammonia for cleaning and degreasing which won't hurt anything. I wouldn't touch coachwood or any wood for that matter with any kind of oven cleaner, caustic or otherwise. Use raw linseed oil instead of boiled. It penetrates and isn't filled with chemicals to make it dry quicker.

I would agree with Brian, no aggressive chemicals should be used.

Use red scotchbrite to get the crap out of the pores and prepare for refinishing.

In the UK, I use Liberon spirit based colours, I find mid oak/dark oak mix 50/50, works well.

Oil using RLO, first coat cut 50% with terps (the reduced viscosity allows the mix to penetrate) the terps acting as rapid catalyst and evaporating quickly.

This first step gives great depth to the final finish.

Follow on with neat RLO applications until it stops sinking in, wipe off excess and buff up to a lovely semi Matt finish.

[Singer B]

Other than painting it, if the two woods are different, I don't see how you can make it match. Even with oils or stains, where the two pieces join, you will some kind of dark line showing the joint. Even if you use wood filler, I think the joint will be visible. I've seen that on several Mosin stocks.