# Stripped pine: colour matching



## xpabu (1 Aug 2014)

Hi

I'm very new to woodworking but keen to learn more -- we've got some recently stripped doors and architraves (both pine) which I'd like to finish myself. The guys who stripped them for us used dichloromethane on the architraves (which have come up a sort of 'raw' but greenish stripped pine colour). For the doors they have used something else (I don't know what), however they have a very definite pink/orange tint to them. I don't know what's caused this tint but of course now the doors and architraves don't match.

I've tried sanding the doors down, different tinted waxes on both to try and match the colours better but there's still a mismatch.

Any ideas what this colouring may be due to and any suggestions on how to either remove the tint (that would be the best outcome) or suggest a way (less keen to do this) to colour the architraves more inline with the doors? I've considered liming or bleaching the doors but I'd appreciate advice from you experts!

Thanks in advance
Paul


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## Phil Pascoe (1 Aug 2014)

I suspect now you've waxed them you may have to learn to love them - nothing else really works very well on top of wax. Welcome, btw.


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## mrpercysnodgrass (2 Aug 2014)

Hi Paul,
I think the pink colour will be the residue of a primer. It can only be removed by applying stripper and scrubbing with a corse wire wool (2 grade) then sanding, probably starting with 100 grit and then 150 and finishing with 240.
It is likely your doors will still not match your architrave and you will need to adjust the colour a little but how you do this will depend on what you are going to use to finish them.
Can you post a few photos?


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## [email protected] (2 Aug 2014)

how old roughly are the doors and architrave? are they same age even? what sort of finish were on both?


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## xpabu (4 Aug 2014)

Hi

Thanks for the replies everyone. I've not waxed the doors yet (just a couple of small samples). The doors and architraves I believe are original (1904), they were both covered with many layers of white paint. I'll post some photos later. I was thinking it may be primer or similar; I've had a look behind another (unstripped door) covered with mdf and that does seem to have a dark brown paint on it.


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## xpabu (5 Aug 2014)

Hi, here are some photos--they don't show the orangey/pink colour as bad as it is but gives a hint at it. I've also included a photo of the unstripped door downstairs that I found.


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## xpabu (7 Aug 2014)

Hi--does anyone have any suggestions?


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## Phil Pascoe (7 Aug 2014)

I had an 1899 house. One of my neighbours informed me proudly one day that he had finally stripped all the white paint and waxed the last piece of painted pine in his house. I thought this amusing as at the same time I had just finished stripping the wax off all the pine that some . had stripped, and painted it white again. Bear in mind that joinery of that period (with an odd exception) was made to be painted, so don't be surprised to find awful joints and dog rough timber.


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## xpabu (7 Aug 2014)

Thanks; yeah, that was a concern and I know that period woodwork was generally painted but actually the joints and timber are actually decent.


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## [email protected] (8 Aug 2014)

I'm struggling to see why timbers of the same age are coming out orange and green. Orange is the worst colour to get rid of. I am a wood person but if it were me I'd paint them. Good quality eg farrow and ball Eggshell paint looks dead smart and the job is done and consistent - total closure and no worrying about why one timber looks different to another.

But if you were to persevere with the natural wood then the only real option is to stain dark. Even if you could adjust the colours to match, they may fade after 2 yrs and look rubbish. Sanding, waxing with different colour waxes is fiddling with it for no return.

The above said, chemical staining may alter the tints of the wood. You would need to use sodium hydroxide or potasium permaganate or is it bichromate of potash sorry having a blonde moment here! etc but that should really be done using skilled hands. A skilled french polisher should sort this for you but I would worry about stains used fading over the next few years....

paint it all with a fantastic quality paint


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## xpabu (8 Aug 2014)

Thanks for the opinions, much appreciated. Just need to convince the wife now, but I think I know what she's going to say...


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## sean_jackson (8 Aug 2014)

When I have colour situations like this I use a pigment water stain like the liberon ones (or similar), at least they leave pigment behind unlike dyes. a fine mist spray (usually diluted) of your desired light pigment stain, leave to dry without wiping, then it would need a clear seal of something (not brushed though) that's my best guess as a colour salvage job but I realise not everyone has spray stuff to hand. 

sean


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## mrpercysnodgrass (9 Aug 2014)

Hi Paul,
It looks like you have pine frames and tulip wood panels. The only way of getting a close match would be to sand heavily all over to remove all residues then ( A＋B ) bleach the tulip wood panels to remove the greenish grey tint. You will then have to adjust the colour with a stain or wash to even it up and then apply the finish. This would be alot of work even for a professional, probably a day per side. If I were you I would live with a colour difference or if you can't do that your options would be to paint or if you really wanted them to look like timber you could grain them.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Art-Wood-Graini ... odgraining


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## xpabu (9 Aug 2014)

Excellent, thanks. Think we'll be living with the difference! Your help is appreciated. I'll let you know how I get on.


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