Hi,
I recently picked up an Ethan Allen impressions coffee table that I want to refinish. I did some quick research and came up with “autumn cherry” #224 as the color. Does anyone here have any suggestions as to the closest brand/color of stain that would match? It doesn’t have to be a perfect match just close.
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Replies
What if the wood underneath is not what you thought it should be.
I’m not sure what you mean … the wood is cherry… I was going to take it down to the bare wood
This is the table
What sjeff70 is alluding to is that factory furniture is not always made from the wood it is claimed to be. Examples:
My first wife's "cherry" desk that was all maple with a crude stain.
A customer's "oak" roll-top desk, that was all ash except for the drawer guides, which were oak.
The "walnut" dining table and chairs I'm sitting at. The table top and skirt are walnut; the table legs are maple. The only walnut in the chairs is the back crest and the veneer on the back splats. All else is maple.
If you haven't already, you should check the underside of the table, to see if it is actually cherry. You might even plane or sand a spot to see if they have colored the underside as well as the top. Apologies if you are knowledgeable about woods and can recognize cherry thru the obscuring factory finish.
Touch up Solutions has Ethan Allen " autumn cherry" #224 wiping stain and weirdly in a rattle can. Also has burn in sticks and touch up markers ...etc
I have a piece of Ethan Allen "cherry" furniture, and it is definitely not cherry wood. It's likely alder. Most non-woodworkers only care about the color of a cherry finish, not the wood itself, so it's marketed that way.
Slightly off topic. Be sure to check if the wood is solid or veneer before you do any sanding. It is very easy to sand through thin veneers before you realize you've done it. I suggest you start with a chemical stripper to make sure you get the old finish and stain out of the grain and then sand lightly to remove any raised grain.
Keep in mind, as said, that the factory finish will often consist of toners (colored finish) along with stains in order to make the colors of different woods look consistent. A re-finishing job may have to follow similar processes.