Best finish for birch ply to try and match a veneer colour

[Designer1]

So,

I've got a cabinet to make for a wardrobe, the current wardrobe has a darkish veneer on, almost mahogony colour. The cabinet I'm making is made from birch ply, and a lipping on the edges to obscure the layered edges. What is the best finish to try match the colour? I've been looking at a hard wax oil but wasn't sure how it would come up, e.g. I don't want it to be patchy.

Has anyone any advice on the best products to use?

Cheers,
Designer1

 

[Doug71]

Make the cabinet out of veneered ply or veneered MDF to match the wardrobe?

 

[Sgian Dubh]

Birch ply tends to blotch quite badly if coloured with hand applied colourants. One excellent way to eliminate blotching, if you're technique is good, is to spray apply dyes (stains) carried in a solvent such as alcohol or lacquer thinner. Morrells carry a range dyes (stains) that can be sprayed such as this one. After that you'd probably need to apply a spray finish that is ideally visually compatible or similar to the existing wardrobe finish. As you don't say what type of finish is on the existing wardrobe I can't offer any suggestions.

An alternative approach has already been suggested by Doug71, and it might be a better matching solution because the veneer colour is likely to be a closer match to the existing piece, and the grain figure and texture of rotary cut raw birch ply is likely to be very different to the grain pattern of a laid up 'mahogany' type veneer over whatever the existing wardrobe is made of. Slainte.

 

[MARK.B.]

If you have already started cutting, my advice would be get some matching iron on veneer sheet . Otherwise I think Doug has the answer

 

[Designer1]

Make the cabinet out of veneered ply or veneered MDF to match the wardrobe?

Their budget doesn't stretch this far unfortunately

 

[Designer1]

Birch ply tends to blotch quite badly if coloured with hand applied colourants. One excellent way to eliminate blotching, if you're technique is good, is to spray apply dyes (stains) carried in a solvent such as alcohol or lacquer thinner. Morrells carry a range dyes (stains) that can be sprayed such as this one. After that you'd probably need to apply a spray finish that is ideally visually compatible or similar to the existing wardrobe finish. As you don't say what type of finish is on the existing wardrobe I can't offer any suggestions.

An alternative approach has already been suggested by Doug71, and it might be a better matching solution because the veneer colour is likely to be a closer match to the existing piece, and the grain figure and texture of rotary cut raw birch ply is likely to be very different to the grain pattern of a laid up 'mahogany' type veneer over whatever the existing wardrobe is made of. Slainte.

The finish is a low satin sheen, approx 20% sheen. I have some Morrell's pre-cat satin lacquer already, I was thinking of spraying 2 coats of the dye you have suggested and then 2 coats of lacquer with 5% dye mixed in. Mainly to try build up the layers and get an even finish.

 

[recipio]

You can get Crown veneered mahogany 19 mm MDF for about the same price as Baltic Ply. I doubt that you will ever achieve an exact match and those dyes are expensive !