Wood staining

[sydh]

My first post so hello everyone.
I am trying to match the colour of the rosewood furniture that used to be in vogue but no longer. I have attached a photo of the bookcase I am copying. I have tried Colron wood dyes, Indian Rosewood (the other photo), American walnut, Peruvian mahogany and Dark Jacobean oak, all to no avail. I am staining hardwood ply as shown.
What am I doing wrong? Clearly wood dye is not suitable. Thanks for any advice you can offer.

 

[Wayners]

This is a difficult area and I know a few decorators that have gone on courses to help.
To answer.
Phone up https://www.littlefairs.shop

They have a good technical helpline

 

[foxhole]

My first post so hello everyone.
I am trying to match the colour of the rosewood furniture that used to be in vogue but no longer. I have attached a photo of the bookcase I am copying. I have tried Colron wood dyes, Indian Rosewood (the other photo), American walnut, Peruvian mahogany and Dark Jacobean oak, all to no avail. I am staining hardwood ply as shown.
What am I doing wrong? Clearly wood dye is not suitable. Thanks for any advice you can offer.

Try red mahogany.

 

[sydh]

Peruvian mahogany is red but it has much the same effect. Just not dark enough. Extra coats do nothing. Have contacted Colron and Little fairs.

 

[JohnD]

It may be that your base wood is a different colour.

You can mix tints yourself, they are just combinations of red, brown, yellow and black.

The two darkest reds are usually a mahogany and a rosewood.

I use the spirit-based, not the water ones. You can buy mix-it-yourself powders but I never liked them.

Have you looked at Blackfriar? I think they used to make Wilko own-brand which was good value.

blackfriar wood dye - Yahoo Image Search results

You could use a tinted varnish on top, but they have their own problems.

 

[JohnD]

(I have a stained floor, where I used the same dyes, in strips, but one side looks different because the wood was a different batch.)

 

[Odds]

I think the trick is to keep going: plywood will soak up your first two or three layers when you apply the stain. I prefer using a cloth to a sponge for that reason, wearing latex gloves to avoid making work for myself later. Using a different batch to the tin already used will result in some discrepancy with the final finish, but that's unavoidable, all you can do is apply as much as necessary to get as close as you can. Colron are the best, imo, but if you used a different brand to begin with then it'll never be the same.

 

[JohnD]

You are shaking them well?

 

[sydh]

I think the trick is to keep going: plywood will soak up your first two or three layers when you apply the stain. I prefer using a cloth to a sponge for that reason, wearing latex gloves to avoid making work for myself later. Using a different batch to the tin already used will result in some discrepancy with the final finish, but that's unavoidable, all you can do is apply as much as necessary to get as close as you can. Colron are the best, imo, but if you used a different brand to begin with then it'll never be the same.

Repeated coats make little difference to the first coat. As you can see in the photos, the shade is way out.

 

[sydh]

You are shaking them well?

Yes.

 

[foxhole]

You using wood stain or wood dye?

 

[JohnD]

I have used "hardwood faced ply" that has a reddish veneer on one side, and a light veneer on the other. I prefer the reddish side. However it is not very good quality, the face veneer is paper thin, not a hardwood ply like I previously used for boats (much more expensive).

The red face goes to a better colour when it is dyed and varnished.

 

[sydh]

You using wood stain or wood dye?

Colron wood dye.

 

[sydh]

I have used "hardwood faced ply" that has a reddish veneer on one side, and a light veneer on the other. I prefer the reddish side. However it is not very good quality, the face veneer is paper thin, not a hardwood ply like I previously used for boats (much more expensive).

The red face goes to a better colour when it is dyed and varnished.

The hardwood ply I have used is shown in the photo. Both sides were very light.

 

[JohnD]

I looked up pics of some samples I made. The mahogany stain was unconvincing on a pale ply.



But I used it on some doors made of red tropical hardwood (sold as mahogany, but really some substitute) and the colour was as good as a Victorian sideboard



The brownish colours (including rosewood) came out quite well.