I know of three ways to match a color.   Probably more, but we're on the three things track:

 

1.  Mix together multiple stains (in the can).  To do this, you need a few stains, a good color eye, samples, and careful measuring and recording.    Here is a good article on this.  If you have some UTCs or dyes, you could add these to off-the-shelf stains (assuming they are solvent compatible).   This would be a good choice for a large project, for example a room's walls, a dining set, bedroom set where you are trying to match some existing stuff.  If you are doing a one-off, for example the top-only of a nightstand, this seems like a lot of work, expense and waste.  After a bunch of trials, you might end up with a bunch of stain you won't ever use.

 

2. Have someone else do it.   If you go to a good paint store with a good color matcher, they might make a custom stain for you that will be a reasonable match.  They, with an experienced color eye, are essentially doing #1.

 

3. Layers.   I have a set of about eight stains and another set of colors that I can add.   I call this using the stain to get to the right church and using a toner or glaze to get to the right pew. Try to get the stain a bit lighter and the right base color.  I generally go with glazes because I can manipulate them while applying -- a little more, a little less, wipe off and try another, or add a second one in process.  I have a number of glazes that I've smeared on some acrylic  sheet that I can hold over the stained wood and get an idea what adding the glaze will do.  You can spray on a toner to adjust colors. 

 

Another way is to add a base coat of dye, then add a wiping stain. 

 

Giant sample board -- dyes on columns, wiping stains on rows.

 

It ain't over until it's over.  You can adjust color mid-flight.  You can always add dark, but it's really hard to add light.  When adjusting color, take tiny steps.

 

Glaze testing and a bit of toner on the bottom half.

 

Glaze board

 

 

Another way of layering is to use layered and manipulated water-soluble dyes.

 

Concepts:

Color matching can be a very difficult process, particularly for us males that might be a bit color-blind.  The surrounding colors and ambient light can shift colors.  The  base wood, its color and texture, and overlying finish affect the color.

Same stain (two different vendors with a stain named "Golden Oak") on different wood species. Also notice the splotching on the second from the top (Minwax on poplar).

 

 

Jeff Jewitt describes it, "When  it comes to color matching, there is simply no substitute for practice.   And the practice will go more smoothly if you make some stain boards and understand some basic color theory* to point you in the right direction." (Complete Illustrated Guide to Finishing, p.163)  * In upcoming TGIFs

 

 

Stain board (on maple) bottom - no finish, middle - one coat of finish, top - two coats of finish.  AKA "Step board"  Stain colors written on back or edges.

 

 

In my training the instructors said, "Two often, three sometimes,four never."   The principle was if you have to add 4 things together, you are probably not going to get the right color, but you often needed two or three.

 

 

_{(c) 2018 Keith Mealy}

 

Edited August 22, 20187 yr by kmealy

bump

Have only done an extensive match once and that was to get ply to match cherry. At the suggestion of the Wood finishing guru Steve Mickley I used the board you spoke of and added color in I think it was three layers. I have pics of all of the build except finishing but I still have the test board in the shop. This is a very effective method.

Don't know how I missed this the first time around.

Great info Keith.

I had some busy times coming up, so I did three articles a couple of weeks ago.  I set them to "hidden" but when you unhide them, they don't come up as new posts, having the original date, not the "unhide" date.