I need some expert opinions.
A friend phoned the other night to ask what to do about their floor.
It is an old wooden floor, and he decided to add another coat of stain to the living room, and while he was at it, do the kitchen for the first time. The tin of stain used the last time redid the living room, but not enough to do the kitchen as well.
Off to the shop, got told that particular brand/colour was no longer made, but, this one is a perfect match…………………..the extra wrinkle in the otherwise perfect plan was that the new version was also waterbased. You know the outcome already right?
So, the problem is, how to remove the waterbased crap from the single board done with it ( fortunately not in the centre of the room, and he was wary enough to test it before doing the lot in broad sweeps. ), the waterbased seems to have a repellant of some sort in it, so the oil/turps mix they want just sits on the surface.
and…….the best way to mix up a batch of stuff to match himself.
I suggested a stain added to an oil/turpentine mix and futz round with the colour until its right, then do the lot. They like the penetrating oil method.
Any suggestions, and also pigments/colourants suitable for this kind of thing?
thanks heaps for any info.
Wood Hoon
Replies
In the software business we have a saying, "If you can't fix it, feature it." In your friend's position, I wouldn't even try to match the living room color in the kitchen. I'd pick a nice complimentary color, preferably darker, and play up the contrast where they meet.
Forgive me while I bore you with a few details.
There are two types of stain you can mix with turpentine and oil -- solvent based dye-stains, like Wattyl's Fade-Resisting stains, which are translucent and oil-based stains (paint really) which are opaque.
For a stain/penetrative oil finish I used equal parts of turpentine, boiled linseed oil and tung oil, applied with a strip of carpet nailed to the bottom of a wooden T bar applicator. The mixture was colored with Wattyl Fade-Resisting stain (the one that is alcohol based) and applied to saturation by keeping it wet for up to 3 hours.
Dry off the excess with rags (careful with the disposal of the oily rags -- they spontaneously combust very quckly) and apply a very thin coat of Johnson's paste wax. For the next 3 days, buff the floor over at least 4 times without adding any further wax.
If it is a surface finish, then you can use an oil-based stain, which is wiped on and wiped off, allowed to dry and coated with an oil-based varnish.
To remove the existing water-based stain you'll have to sand it out.
To color-match the existing you'll have to apply various mixes to a sample piece. I used a 10cc hypodermic to measure quantities with.
IanDG
Thanks for all the good info Ian.
If I remember correctly, they also said that the shop told them they dont make oil based stains anymore.
Methinks they either went all waterbased for whatever reason and want to sell only that, or they telling porkies.
I lean toward the latter.
Any ideas on suitable colouring agents to mix with the oil brew?
Wood Hoon
Unfortunately I can't remember the name but there's a very good dye stain that I've often used. Try a store that specialises in timber finishes. IanDG
I often make up my own stains and glazes. I use artist's oils. My favorite paint is the Winsor & Newton alkyd oils, but any brand of artists oils will work. Some paint stores will also sell universal tinting colors, which is what the paint stores make stains and custom tints with. The tinting colors are easier to get mixed up. The artist oils require some patience to mix thoroughly. I also have the paint stores mix up custom stains for me when I need a lot (like for a floor). Take in the old stain if you have any and a piece of similar wood to your floor so that they can test match it.
I forgot to mention; I believe that you will have to use a scraper to take off the water based stuff and then sand it a bit. For a stain medium I usually use refined linseed oil and mineral spirits. About 25% linseed. If you need to make fine adjustments in the tinting, it is easier to do that with tints added to the varnish. You can make a new adjustment that way with each coat and refine the color pretty accurately, but the bulk of your color needs to go on with the first coat. I like to keep any tinting on the final coat very light because that is your wear coat.
Ian and Clay, thanks for the really good info. I will print this out and forward to my friends.
regards
AJ
Wood Hoon
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