Change the Color of New Maple Furniture

Bob T Builder | Posted in Peter Gedrys on May 17, 2006 07:13am

I’d like to darken the finish of a new maple Entertainment Center. It is stained and finished in a waterbase flat clear coat. I want to darken it to a more reddish brown hue that matches my existing furniture. Do I need to strip off the clear flat coat waterbase factory finish to change the hue and darken the piece? Or, is it possible spray a translucent finish that matches the desired color change over the top of the existing finish after it has been prepared (lightly sanded) for a new top coat?

Replies

peter28 | May 21, 2006 04:45am | #1
Bob,

It is possible to darken the piece without stripping it. I would sand the coating well with 320 and clean it well.

Next I would make a glaze to " bring the color up" This can be done with water or oil based products. There are a variety of colorants that can be used in glazes such as japans ( oil ) universal tints and mixol tints. You'll need to do some research on this method. It is a great tool and will add greatly to your finishing. I would practice on a separate piece or even the backs of doors.

A basic red brown can be made by using burnt umber, a dash of vermilion and black.

I can't give you exact measurements. This is where you have to practice. Another way is to use a gel stain and some glaze liquid to cut it and slow the drying down.

Spraying a tinted coat can be a tricky operation unless you use a light touch with the amount of color added to your finish.

The real intangible hear is the factory coating. Not knowing what it is can make it interesting.

I would consider applying a light coat of shellac as a barrier coat before applying your finish of choice. It will help the coatings mate.

Make sure you practice these techniques first. It will save you a fair amount of headaches later on.

Peter Gedrys