I bought this old “arts & crafts” chifrobe/armoire Circa 1910. It is made of quarter-sawn oak.
I plan on selling it in my antique booth. However, there’s a piece of molding missing off the top left side. I have made the piece with new wood using a cove bit and then a straight bit. It looks and fits fine. My problem is – you guessed it – the finish.
I can not figure out how to match the old patina of the original finish of that beautiful quarter sawn oak. By the way I wonder if it “white or red” oak, as this may have an effect on the way it is finished.
Any help is most appreciated. Keep in mind that I am a beginner at this woodworking and finishing area.
Replies
This is one of the most challenging aspects of antique restoration. The first step is to make sure that the grain matches as well as possible, otherwise, getting the finish "right" won't be enough.
Then you are going to need a lot of scrap for samples. Don't touch your actual piece of molding until the samples from the same wood, even it the grain match isn't so good give you the look you want. There are a miriad of finishes that were used in the period and the wood itself has changed color, so there is no "formula" that anyone can give you.
You probably want to start with a dye to get the basic color as close as possible. Dye affects the quartersawn flake quite a bit differently than a pigmented stain would do so you have to take that into account. The dye may not affect the pores evenly, so you then may need to seal the dye and use some pigmented stain to make the pores look more like the original without too much change to the overall "background" color. Then you may have to use some finish with color in it (a toner) to simulate the haziness that comes with age in the original finish. Shellac is likely to be the original finish, and also likely to be the best medium for all these manipulations.
People who have done this a lot can probably get to an acceptable solution fairly quickly, but I'm sure I would have to do a large number of samples and try a variety of materials to get it close.
Steve, sounds like U no what your doing. That's going to be a challange but that's the method I think will work best. Trial and error. Einstein's way. This'll be fun. Will let you know how it comes out. Chuck
Damn You spell like I do! I understood everything you said!
The preceeding suggestions are all valid.
You may try a trick that an old furniture repair guy told me...if you have a piece of broken furniture with similar wood to the one you are trying to match the patina will be much easier to match.
This old guy had a pile of broken chairs and tables from which he scrounged the materials for the most amazing repairs.
Best of luck,
Sounds like great advice. Guess I'll have to go visit my favorite Antique Auction house and see if they will let me prowl around. Thanks.
this is all good advice, but you've stumbled upon one of the trickiest aspects of woodworking. As a contractor/remodeler I'm occasionally presented with a problem like this, and a client will say, "how much would it cost to make a new matching piece?". I often say, "I have no idea."
Working the wood is the fun part for me, but matching the finish can be like trying to start an old chainsaw; it might happen right away, but don't make any plans.
Get as close as you can to matching the new wood to an unfinished part (like the back) of the original wood. Matching the species isn't always good enough - it should have the right grain and general color or else you will be leaving too much work for the finish.
Now all you need is a lab with a huge selection of finish products to test. If you do not own a lab like this, do what I do. Go to a good paint store when they're not too busy (like mid morning) and find an employee who will get involved with your plight. If you're lucky, they might be willing to let you dip into different cans to test finishes without buying them. You may even get someone who's got better instincts than you to help you out.
Someone mentioned shellac. More often than not I find that this is the product that ends up being the key. Amber shellac ages the finish well and can be piled on to make the piece darker with every coat.
Don't forget that the original may have been fumed with ammonia prior to finishing.
Dick
That's right. I read that somewhere a while ago. That'll be intersting to try it. It's pretty simple but takes time and of course one has to be careful. Thanks.
Saulgooll, I like your thoughts and ideas. They all make logical sense and that's probably what I'll do. Especially the shellac part.
Just to clarify, Fid, I mentioned shellac because it is good to know about and it has helped me more than once to get the look I needed. That said, you should also realize a few things:Shellac is a clear finish, and as such it won't change/hide fudamental differences in appearance between the new wood and the original. You'll still have to get the color and grain to match reasonably closely by other means (Dye, stain, or pure luck, for example), and this will probably need to be done BEFORE you apply the shellac. Shellac is often used as a sealer, and once applied it will limit your ability to change the color with stain, dye etc. Color wise, it's the amber shellac that can be manipulated the most. This is what I've used after I got as close as I could to a match to add depth, sheen and a slightly darker, aged look. You can add coats to darken the overall appearance, like I said, but remember that it will darken the old work as well so be carefull or you'll be playing catch-up. Also, shellac is a great tool but it takes some practice to master it's fast drying, finicky properties. Once applied, you have to work quickly and then leave it alone or it will get gummy. Give it just a few minutes, though, and you can add another coat. Check the date before using shellac, because it doesn't keep well in liquid form. On the other hand, once it has fully dried it can always be disolved again ("padding") to manipulate the look or blend in repair work - even if it's 100 years old. Padding shellac involves using denatured alchohol as the solvent, but ammonia is easier and cheaper for cleaning your tools.
Thanks Saul, that all makes a lot of sense. Guess I got my work cut out for me. That's why I bought a few extra sticks of wood. Chuck
I ocassionaly make replacement parts for period antique pieces of 1900 era cabinets used for phonographs etc. The client furnishes old oak or chestnut wood, and even though I sometimes have to machine off the original finish he can make the old wood look just like the original. A couple of times I tried to use new quarter sawn oak and believe me it never comes out like the old wood. He made me a believer in using 100 year old wood for replacement parts. Still don't know why the difference, but it works.
My father was a partner (he did all the repair work) in a repair and refinishing business when my facial hair just finished getting established. I dropped by the shop and there was a chair ready to be sent out that had a new claw and ball leg. My father asked me which one I thought he carved. I looked at them for a minute and pointed at the correct one. He asked why I thought it was that one. I told him it was because the carving was 'crisper' and better. He thanked me, and pointed out that I should have said "it was because the pores were not filled like the rest of the chair".One more thing to try to match when replacing new wood with old. ;)
Its interesting how the human eye can pick up differences more subtle than just color.The clawfoot story reminds me of a client who insisted that an interior doorway I was adding in her 100 year old victorian had to look "like it's always been there". There was a door in her basement that matched the others and the trim around the door was easy to duplicate, but when I primed all the wood it still didn't look right - way too "crisp" as you said. To replicate 100 years worth of paint I knocked down some of the definition with light sandpaper and then gobbed on more primer. When this was done it looked perfect...too perfect. My client was surprised when she walked in just in time to see me using a framing hammer wrapped in a t-shirt to casually dent my brand new corners at random spots from about shin level up to the the door latch. She started to get upset until I showed her the wavy, battle scarred casings on the two original doors in the room. Of course, she had never noticed any damage but quickly agreed that my doorway looked better with the "natural" bumps and dings that give old houses their character.
Thanks. I have had that problem before. My wife even pointed it out to me. What should I use on quarter sawn oak?
Chuck
"What should I use on quarter sawn oak?"That I can't say. I have to admit that I have always avoided staining wood because I'm somewhat colorblind and what looks good to me will bug others. I'm not as bad as another guy that I new that loved crushed purple velvet and such. Unless you're real good with color, bring a woman along and trust their judgment (they are rarely colorblind). I'm sorry to all the married guys reading this if your wife walked by and saw that last sentence.
Maybe I need to make a trip to an auction house to see if they have some junk oak furniture lying around. Thanks
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