I’m looking for a source of “Country Oak” and “Spanish Oak” stains distributed by Creative Products Company of Carson, CA, which apparently no longer exists. Does anyone know of another company that took over their line or of a source on how to match these particular stains?
Replies
Never heard of the product, but an easy solution is to buy a stain that is close to what you want and use universal colors from a paint store to adjust to the color you want.
Michael R
Many thanks for the tip. I've never tried it. Should save me a lot of searching and trial and error.
Like everything new, there's a learning curve. Take it slow, keep it simple, and you'll develop a useful tool.
Michael R.
When you start to mix stains make sure you write down what you added. A number of time I got the stain I wanted but didn't know how to repeat it.
Joe
JIMMY WA ,
I usually go to the local paint store with a sample of what we need and they almost always can mix it to match for you , without you having to buy all the tinting compounds yourself . When a customer wants me to match an existing finish that I did not do , I have them bring a sample and meet me at the paint store and when they are satisfied with the color the paint store came up with , all is well , and they will not complain after you are done because they approved the color .
good luck dusty
You are right, of course, if the paint store has a decent color matcher, and if you have a sample to work from. Works out OK most of the time.
On the other hand, if you are trying to get a color "just right", you generally only need a 2 ounce bottle each of red, yellow, blue, and black, and you'll have control over all your wiping stain colors, and can compensate for different colored substrates.
Just depends on how fussy you are.
Michael R
Woodwiz ,
Actually when I apprenticed we mixed all of our own colors . we used UTC ( universal tinting compounds ) along with paint thinner or turpentine with a bit of linseed oil . The problem I noticed was often times it was difficult , at a later date to stain another piece to match . So for the sake of consistency and pleased customers I started to let the paint store create the color and the customer approving it helps take some of the burden off us . We used raw umber , burnt umber , raw sienna , burnt sienna , lamp black , a white and a few others it seems . There are few colors that can not be achieved with these ingredients . I remember when we had to make a grey color we took black and white and confidently mixed them together , well we ended up with a nice powder blue . We learned lamp black was made from soot which has a bluish black tone . We had to mix some concoction of van dyke brown and white or something like that . I really try and only use pre mixed colors , that way they are the same time after time . To make the perfect color we sometimes take 1/3rd of this and 2/3rds of that , but can easily duplicate them later . Or the paint store can add the utc to the base color .
dusty
When I make samples, I weigh my colors. I just put the container on an electronic scale and record the amount that acually goes in. It's really hard to measure thick colors accurately with a measuring spoon. With weights, I can make half a pint or five gallons, and get consistent results every time.
I prefer alkyd resin in a pigmented stain base. Lots faster recoat time than linseed oil.
MIchael R.
That was a good product, wasn't it
They have been gone for many, many years. Try Homestead(?) paints in Mission Viejo or Santa Margarita. They were able to get it for a while, but that was even 4-5 years ago, maybe more.
Mohawk makes a wiping stain that is similar and has similar colors.
Migraine,Yes, Creative was a good stain. I've located a Mohawk distributor nearby. The only Homestead I've found so far is in Toronto, but I'm still looking. Many thanks for the leads.Jimmy
Stain matching is one of the most vexing problems in finishing.
The simplest solution is to stay within a given manufacturer's line, and intermix various stains to get the color you want.
Otherwise, you could try the UTCs mentioned earlier to shade a given stain in the direction you are looking for . However, this technique takes a sharp eye for color composition -- and a lot of practice -- or a high tolerance for futzing around.
If this latter approach appeals to you, I would spend the time to familiarize myself with the Mohawk stuff. They produce the Behlen products for the consumer market, and market the same stuff for the trade under the Mohawk brand, which can be mail ordered.
Homestead is another outfit you should know. It is owned by Jeff Jewitt who does a ton of books and writes for FWW. They are customer friendly, have a wide range of products, and have a considerable trove of info on their website (just google "homestead finishing").
Stain matching is one of the most vexing problems in finishing.
It might appear to be, but it's really pretty easy once you get a little practice. I've hardly ever used a straight factory stain in over 30 years. All the finishes I have ever done were custom designed. Requirements aren't near as critical as when matching paint. It helps a lot to learn a little about color theory; things don't always come out the way you would expect.
I also like Behlen's Master colors and 15-minute stains a lot, as well as their Mohawk equivalents. Their colors are very pure, and I get a very good "look" with them.
Also agree on Homestead. TransTint dyes are my favorite for color ease of use, and color retention, and they have good colors, too.
The Mohawk and Behlen colors won't work very well in factory oil-based stains. Still have to use UTC's in them.
Michael R
Michael,It may be easy for you to match stains, but I find it devilishly difficult. I just don't seem to have a very good eye for color composition. There was a small paint store in my area until a few years ago, and the woman owner was a genius at this task (stain matching). But alas, they went out of business, she moved to FL, and now I'm on my own.
What do you have trouble with, in particular? Maybe I could offer a useful suggestion.
Do you have any color wheels? A Prang color wheel and a finisher's color wheel come in very handy, as do good crisp colors like master colors. Having an example to extrapolate from helps a lot. As I said above, colors don't all mix like you expect them to. For example:
Yellow and black make olive; there's no green in it. Burnt umber and white don't make warm beige, they make pink. It takes red, yellow, black, and white to make tan or beige.
Almost any brown can be made from pure red, yellow, and black. There is no such thing as "browner" as so many of my customers keep asking for. It's either lighter or darker (Black), redder or yellower. That right there is the key to most wood colors. Too many colors makes mud. I try to stay with a maximum of three.
Learn the tints (added white) and shades (added black) of your basic colors, and you are pretty much there.
When matching factory furniture stains, you have to look for the layers of colors: basically dye stain underneath, then wiping stain, then glaze on top.
That's over 90% of stain matching. Does that help any? It really is much easier than matching paints.
Michael R
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