Matching a walnut finish

[nev]

I have just posted this in the 'finishes' section, but just in case there is someone in the know here that never goes there i shall repeat

I'm contemplating making a pen to match the interior of a car (dont ask!)
I have Walnut blanks (cheers Mark :wink: ) of varying shades and would like to know if there is anything i can do to lighten/ darken/enrich ? whatever i need to do, to get somewhere near the required colour/ finish , see below, or is it purely down to selecting the right bit of burr walnut in the first place?

maybe a red tint in the lacquer, perhaps?

The bit with airbag written on it is apparently real walnut.

 

[Richard Findley]

Hi Nev

Its all about staining really. Good timber selection will help, try to find as close as possible and preferably lighter not darker in colour. You then need to mix up a stain to match. This is a rather hit and miss procedure but always remember you can darken but not lighten, so go a bit at a time. Something like the Chestnut Spirit Stains trial pack in the wood stain colours is a good place to start, mixing "Walnut" with a touch of "Mahogany" in a jar and testing, then adding more of whichever to achieve the colour you want. Applying to spinning wood with some paper roll will work fine on a pen I should think as its all side grain. Spraying with a small gun, airbrush or one of those blow tube thingies would give a lighter more even finish but its up to you.

HTH

Richard

 

[nev]

Cheers Richard, brown fingers tomorrow for then

 

[CHJ]

Nev, if the walnut you have is anything akin to the stuff I have lying around then I think you will have to start in the rosewood or red mahogany end of the spectrum to get that red flush as seen in your images. The Walnut spirit stain I have turns pale walnut sapwood into something akin to American black walnut.

 

[nev]

Round 1.
chestnut spirit stains, (rainbow colours - i already had them))
1 coat neat red wiped on.
allowed to dry
mix cap full of orange with brush full of blue to get brown, wipe on.
dry
repeat
add another brush full of blue to the brown, paint on and dab to remove tide marks
repeat
finish with CA/BLO

not a bad match
Round 2 when the vandyke crystals arrive.

 

[Bodrighy]

Looks pretty close to me. Main difference I can see is in the graining. That can't be avoided anyway.

Pete

 

[Richard Findley]

Hi Nev

Looks great, especially for a first go!

Not sure you'll do much better with vdc cos they are usually more brown than red.

Remember, always work on being lighter, you can always tint your finish a bit and use coloured wax at the end.

Let us know how you get on

Richard