Replies

1. 
   Howard_Acheson | Sep 15, 1999 04:58am | #1

   *
   Commercial furniture manufacturers use many coats and layers of products to finish their pieces. The steps are anywhere from 15 - 25 consisting of stains/dyes, toners and lacquer. They are almost 100% sprayed and are applied over wood that has first been bleached of almost all color.

   Getting the dye/stain from Ethen Allen will get you close and spraying the finish will likely give you a satisfactory match. Depending on the final finish you want you will need to "finish the finish".

   I suggest you get Jeff Jewetts "Hand Applied Finishes" and/or Bob Flexners "Understanding Wood Finishing".

1. 
   MAC_SIMMONS | Sep 15, 1999 11:07pm | #2

   *Many of their finishes, start out with a tinting toner, which is used to uniform the woods.With out toning the woods, you may come close, but it will not match most finishe

1. 
   Jeff_Jewitt | Sep 16, 1999 05:14am | #3

   *I have ordered the matching stain from Ethan Allen but I don't know yet if it is oil or lacquer based. 1) should I use a wood conditioner like MinWax conditioner? This product is typically used only under oil based stains like Minwax. The E/A product is probably an ngr stain which is alcohol based. The factory sprays it on to avoid splotching.. Other suggestions for treatment before staining? Will MinWax work under lacquer? 2) Should I wipe or spray the stain. From the appearence of the other furniture, I would say that they had been sprayed. Any tricks here? Build slowly ---------3) Should I thin and use retarder in the lacquer? What percentages? I live in humid Houston. Thin it 50/50 to start. Add retarder only if it turns white or blushes.Will be spraying the lacquer with a regular compressor-type spray gun. 4) How many coats? I would think 4 or 5 with 400 grit w/d paper sanding between coats. Yup thats about right -- but just build until you get the look that you want. Also -- you can always add stain to the lacquer as long as its compatible to tone and adjust the color.5) How long after last coat should I wait before buffing? Is lambs wool bonnett ok? Yes --- but wait one week. Jeff Jewitt

1. 
   Mike_Taylor1 | Dec 05, 1999 07:50am | #4

   *Finally got Ethan Allen stain after 12 weeks! Was just an oil based stain with lots of very dark pigment with a little umber added (looks like dried blood) . Sanded headboard with 150 grit garnet paper and brushed on the stain. Waited 30 minutes and rubbed off the excess pigment. Color looks identical to the other furniture! Talked to a finishing guy at Ethan Allen. He said to first mist on two thin coats of lacquer thinned 2 parts lacquer and 1 part thinner, then spray on uncut sanding sealer. Lightly sand with 600 grit w/d paper wet with paint thinner (not lacquer thinner). Do not sand between or after the mist coats. If cloudiness occurs because of humidity, then mist on lacquer retarder until the cloudiness disappears. He said to not mix retarder with the lacquer. After sanding the sealer, then apply several coats of lacquer, lightly sanding between coats if necessary. After last coat, wait a day then buff out with lambs wool buffer.

1. 
   Joe_Gallagher | Dec 11, 1999 01:22am | #5

   *Ok, Mike. You have my attention big time. I have been tring to achieve the Ethan Allen look on cherry for years without success. Where and how do you order the stain from Ethan Allen. Can I do this through my local E/A furniture retail outlet?

2. 
   barneyheller | Aug 13, 2020 10:59am | #6

   This is a really old post, but very relevant to my project. Hopefully someone will see this update. I am trying to refinish a beside table from Ethan Allen that had been rained on through a window. The finish was ruined. Ethan Allen claims no information because the piece is ~25 years old, but they say it was water based. Was this one of the early water based polyurethanes? I've been able to strip it, but would like more info for the molding repair. Any suggestions are appreciated.

3. 
   john_c2 | Aug 13, 2020 11:43am | #7

   It's so old and damaged that it really doesn't matter what they originally used. If you try to fix and refinish only part of it, it will stick out like a sore thumb. I'd go for refinishing the whole piece, after making any repairs.