Why is my Stickley finish darker than the last time I did it?
I’ve done a number of projects in the past (using qswo) where I was able to match the finish of a store bought Stickley chair. I use a TransTint dye mixture followed by Watco Danish oil dark walnut. This time, the finish is coming out too dark. Could it be:
a) the nature of the particular pieces of qswo I’m using for this project?
b) I applied too much dye stain because I thought it wasn’t covering the wood?
c) Something else?
Will I have to sand off the finish and start again?
Replies
It could be any or all of those things. Best policy is to process test boards from your cutoffs as you build the project if there is going to be something more than a straightforward finish.
Before you break out the sander, (IF you still have some cutoffs), try processing them as you did the project, then finish one exactly like the project and see if you can alter it to get it to where you want it to be.
Actually I did test the finish on a cutoff before I put it on the final pieces and the color match was fine. That's why it was so frustrating to see the final pieces turn out darker than they should have been.
OK, smart. What changed? New batch of dye/watco or longer soak time? I guess noy you have to try and match the new color and work back from there.
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