From time to time, I’m sure most of us face the issue of matching an older piece of furniture. In this case it is the top of a Victorian Hutch. I’ve worked with dyes & toners/glaze enough to match most of the color quite well. But some of the very dark wax/grime, etc. the fills the crevasses of the carvings and in this case near the base are challenging.
Adding black to shellac or varnish seems to make things too jet black and of course glossy. Often, the coloration needed is more of a deep gray/black, and very dull, never glossy.
Age and oxidation have done there thing, what is your favorite way to replicate this?
Thanks,
Rooms
Replies
You are on the right track in thinking you want a pigmented glaze. But this look is a lot easier to achieve with the specialized glazing mediums which allow you to mix in your own pigment and which allow more time for manipulation. Check out Jeff Jewitt's site http://www.homesteadfinishing.com for a large selection of glazes and pigments.
Rooms,
I wish I were familiar with the products available in the US, where I assume you are (you don't have any profile info). Most of the finish materials I use are Italian and the names would mean nothing to you. But I use a product called "Patina" which is the consistency of sour cream and comes in various shades of dirt. It is made by Sayerlack of Italy and it's intended for exactly the effect you're after. You brush in on and immediately rub off with a rag until it looks right. I'm sure there must be some similar thing on the market.
David Ring
http://www.touchwood.co.il/?id=1&lang=e
Sayerlack products can be found here in the U.S. I don't know about the patina products you've mentioned. But I do know that Sherwin Williams has started carrying Sayerlack polyester sealer which is designed to be a production grain filler for that mirrored finish look.
Kevin,I'm glad to hear that Sayerlack is making an entry into the US. Their water-borne line of clear finishes is top notch.If you have the opportunity, the "Patina" is called AP1144/95. David Ring
http://www.touchwood.co.il/?id=1&lang=e
Kevin,
I did check with my Sherwin Williams dealer. They never heard of Sayerlack, but did tell me that many products are available in different areas of the country. I hope it finds its way to the midwest.
Rooms
Well it might not have made it that far. But they also might not have heard of it in the context of it's manufactorer. The stuff I have, with the exception of the barrier coat material, which is designed to provide a barrier between oily woods and the polyester for improved adhesion, has all been relabeled with SW labels and in SW cans. But the tech told me that it is Sayerlack.
The pint can I have of catalyst for the barrier coat has the original Sayerlack label on it while the gallon can of barrier coat itself has an Arch Coatings, Inc. label over the top of what looks to be a blank SW label. Obviously the barrier coat material is actually Sayerlack regardless of what the label says.
So it looks to be a rather convoluted importation process, which might be why your SW folks haven't heard of it. You might check with Arch Coatings and see how much of the Sayerlack line they carry. They are in Brandenburg, Kentucky.
Kevin,
Very interesting! I'll check it out.
Thanks,
Rooms
Rooms,
Sometimes you have to get creative. I've had good success with adding dry pigment (from constantine's-called blending stain) to shellac. Enough added yields a dull sheen, or rub out after. Try mixing other colors to the black to give a more realistic dirt color- browns or tans, a little red. I've also dusted fly ash from my wood stove onto wet stain/shellac, let it dry and wiped off the excess.
Ray Pine
Rooms,
I use the method Steve told you about quite a bit.You can find glaze medium in almost any good paint store. Ben Moore and Zinseer are just two. (BTW I'm talking oil based here) They are very thick . Just thin them down and add color. This can be Japans, dry pigments etc. Use them with a dry brush technique to keep it thin.
Another option I use that is fast drying is hide glue and dry pigments. I use rabbit skin glue for this but commercial hide glue should work. Warm it up and dilute it enough to make it extremely thin. You can brush it or pounce it on the surface. You can dust, brush or pounce on pigments. Consider the earth tones for this. They read very realistically to the eye i.e. burnt or raw umber with dashes of black or van dyke brown. You can also add colors to this solution and quickly build up a color that way. Just keep it thin.
The beauty of pouncing the glue on is it will also add a little texture if required. As the saying goes,"crud is your friend" It is very quick drying and is fully compatible with a shellac coating.
Peter
Thank you all for your replies. A lot of good tips to get the job done.
I've found a very dark gel stain by Old Masters called Spanish Oak. I'm going to give it a test on a piece of scrap.
Rooms
I like to use japan colors and quick drying gold size for glazes. It dries relatively quickly and is not shiny. I also add pumice to build up the "grime" sometimes as well. I use VanDyke brown, which has the dark brown, not black, tint which works well for coloring. Red,yellow, and black can be mixed together to get all different shades of brown.
You can also use silex grain filler as well. Behlens oil based grain filler,Dark Walnut, works well. It dries a little grey/brown so you may need to apply some wah to make it a little more convincing. Black shoe polish works well for the wax.
When using shellac, pad the surface immediately after you apply it with the palm of your hand. That will kill the shine and roughen the surface slightly in order to make it seem aged.
For tinting shellac I use both dyes which are powdered,Lockwoods, and the Transtint dyes as well.
Of course with any advice experimentation is key. You have a lot of good info to go on. Good luck.
J.P.
Adding black to shellac or varnish seems to make things too jet black and of course glossy. Often, the coloration needed is more of a deep gray/black, and very dull, never glossy.
Carbon-based black pigments are much, much darker and glossier than mineral-based black pigments. The most handy references I have here at work are DuPont automotive pigments. Their "Jet Black" is carbon and the dried material on the outside of the can is full gloss. They've also got a "Graphite Black" which is made with graphite and is definitely a very dark grey and has a matte sheen when dried.
For antiquing we always use Briwax dark brown wax. It's pretty much fool proof.
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