[JoeTao]

Hello all. I have a door that I am trying to identify. I want to match the stain to the door frame, which is a different type of wood. Any help is appreciated.
Thanks

 

[Steve Neul]

Can't see much of the frame. Matching a color usually takes a lot of tinkering, either mixing pigment to the stain or intermixing other stains. This tinkering usually means you need a lot of scrap wood which I assume you don't have. If you can't get some scrap wood then test the stain on the back side of the door. I would start with Minwax golden oak stain. With Minwax stains though you can't add pigment to the stain, you can only intermix it with other colors of Minwax stain. If golden oak doesn't work perhaps the color red oak or the mixture of the two will. If the frame was finished with shellac it may have been the amber shellac or has yellowed over time. You may need to add a coat of amber shellac to it to re-create the finish. Just be warned the amber shellac in a can is the standard shellac which you can't put polyurethane over the top. With poly it requires a de-waxed shellac. Shellac contains a natural wax that causes adhesion problems with poly. You could finish with shellac, lacquer or varnish over standard shellac.

 

[JoeTao]

Can't see much of the frame. Matching a color usually takes a lot of tinkering, either mixing pigment to the stain or intermixing other stains. This tinkering usually means you need a lot of scrap wood which I assume you don't have. If you can't get some scrap wood then test the stain on the back side of the door. I would start with Minwax golden oak stain. With Minwax stains though you can't add pigment to the stain, you can only intermix it with other colors of Minwax stain. If golden oak doesn't work perhaps the color red oak or the mixture of the two will. If the frame was finished with shellac it may have been the amber shellac or has yellowed over time. You may need to add a coat of amber shellac to it to re-create the finish. Just be warned the amber shellac in a can is the standard shellac which you can't put polyurethane over the top. With poly it requires a de-waxed shellac. Shellac contains a natural wax that causes adhesion problems with poly. You could finish with shellac, lacquer or varnish over standard shellac.

Can't see much of the frame. Matching a color usually takes a lot of tinkering, either mixing pigment to the stain or intermixing other stains. This tinkering usually means you need a lot of scrap wood which I assume you don't have. If you can't get some scrap wood then test the stain on the back side of the door. I would start with Minwax golden oak stain. With Minwax stains though you can't add pigment to the stain, you can only intermix it with other colors of Minwax stain. If golden oak doesn't work perhaps the color red oak or the mixture of the two will. If the frame was finished with shellac it may have been the amber shellac or has yellowed over time. You may need to add a coat of amber shellac to it to re-create the finish. Just be warned the amber shellac in a can is the standard shellac which you can't put polyurethane over the top. With poly it requires a de-waxed shellac. Shellac contains a natural wax that causes adhesion problems with poly. You could finish with shellac, lacquer or varnish over standard shellac.

Hi. I'm pretty sure it's just a varnish and not a shellac. Quite the headache trying to figure this out. I've attached a pic of the frame. Don't know if that help. Thanks again.

 

[Steve Neul]

I don't believe its a different kind of wood. I think both the door and the frame is ash. I still think golden oak is the stain to start with. Just try it on a small spot and have a rag with some lacquer thinner handy in case it doesn't work. I had some red oak stain in my shop and tried it on a piece of ash and that isn't the color. It's too brown. Maybe Sedona Red. It's just going to take some patience and tinkering to match the color. If I were doing it I would charge for two hours work to match the color.

 

[JoeTao]

I don't believe its a different kind of wood. I think both the door and the frame is ash. I still think golden oak is the stain to start with. Just try it on a small spot and have a rag with some lacquer thinner handy in case it doesn't work. I had some red oak stain in my shop and tried it on a piece of ash and that isn't the color. It's too brown. Maybe Sedona Red. It's just going to take some patience and tinkering to match the color. If I were doing it I would charge for two hours work to match the color.

Thanks, Steve.

I will get some golden oak stain and give it a try.

 

[JoeTao]

I don't believe its a different kind of wood. I think both the door and the frame is ash. I still think golden oak is the stain to start with. Just try it on a small spot and have a rag with some lacquer thinner handy in case it doesn't work. I had some red oak stain in my shop and tried it on a piece of ash and that isn't the color. It's too brown. Maybe Sedona Red. It's just going to take some patience and tinkering to match the color. If I were doing it I would charge for two hours work to match the color.

Hi Steve.
Just wanted to say thanks again. I used golden oak and got pretty close so that's how it's going to stay. Looks good to me.

 

[Steve Neul]

If you didn't mind finishing with shellac you could put a thin coat of amber shellac on it and I think the color would be closer. Problem is with amber shellac unless you ordered the de-waxed flakes and mixed your own you couldn't use polyurethane over the top. You could finish with clear shellac or lacquer though.

 

[JoeTao]

If you didn't mind finishing with shellac you could put a thin coat of amber shellac on it and I think the color would be closer. Problem is with amber shellac unless you ordered the de-waxed flakes and mixed your own you couldn't use polyurethane over the top. You could finish with clear shellac or lacquer though.

Sounds complicated. I'l pass. I"ll slap a coat of varnish on there and it'll be fine. That's the advantage of not being a perfectionist.