Finish diagnosis

[Frank Snyder]

I'm trying to replicate the species, color and topcoat of these examples...

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Anyone here have any ideas what was used based on looking at these pictures?

I've been experimenting with Maple using GF Espresso water-based stains, GF Dark Brown water-based dye stain, and TransTint Dark Walnut. The Maple still looks blotchy to me after staining, and I've even tried the shellac pre-wash (too light) and pre-stain conditioners (still blotchy). This leads me to question the species of wood I'm using.

I'm all ears if anyone wants to take a stab at diagnosing what was used here.

Appreciated,

Frank

[Phil Phelps]

Have you tried an oil base stain?

[Howard Acheson]

It's almost impossible to identify the wood with that finish on it. If I had to guess, I would think first that it's birch. Much Pottery Barn/Crate & Barrel stuff is made with birch.

As to the finish, most likely its a sprayed on tinted color. It looks to be fairly heavy as little of the grain is showing through. Many factory applied "stain" finishes actually consist of 10-20 coats of various dyes, pigments, toners, sealers and clear coats.

You might contact the manufacturer and see if they can tell you what is used.

[Frank Snyder]

Phil - The oil-based stains I tried were the most blotchy on Maple, even with the pre-stain conditioner.

Howard - I've not tried using Birch, but I can certainly try that as well. I tried using the Maple first since the Birch can have more natural color variation (red and brown tones).

I've not tried contacting the manufacturer, and in this example, I may need a translator to make the long-distance call for me.

I've got some Walnut scraps here as well, but I'm not sure that's the species used in this example.

I appreciate your help. Finishing is really a dark art to me.

[Steve Jenkins]

often times a finish like that starts with a dye then a wiping stain then a toner. It is pretty tough to duplicate without spraying as the toner is finish with color added that you apply in multiple coats to attain the depth of color you want.