I need to match red oak flooring to walnut flooring. The walnut is not stained just coated with poly. Client just wants something close and they understand that the walnut will change color over time. They've requested use of Minwax stains. I'm leaning toward mixing dark walnut with one of the redder colors such as the red mahogany. Any thoughts? I don't have any Minwax to experiment with and trying not to by a bunch of cans to experiment with.
From contributor D.
Our local SW, who sells Minwax, allows us the service of mixing and matching in their store using their inventory as needed to formulate our custom mixes.
Just an idea....
From contributor Je
You will never get oak dark enough with Minwax. You may get it dark enough with a good wiping stain like SW sherwood. Your best bet would be a NGR spray stain sealed and glaze over the top of it. You can get it black easily if you want.
From contributor GM
Talk the client out of Minwax stains. If the client has some argument about why he thinks Minwax is better then be prepared for a rebuttal. Tell the client why what you choose is better, no matter the finish you choose, considering most finishes available to professionals this should be simple. Choose a topcoat with good UV resistance and no problems should arise within the first five years or so. Remember that the client is looking for instant gratification and probably won't notice a color shift in the years to come. Remember that color matches across species rarely work in the long run. Satisfy the client now and you most likely won't have to worry about it in the long run. If the client has a complaint later on just lift up the rug or move the potted plant that blocked the sun and expose the UV damage on the floor.
Remember that some clients "get it". Some don't. The ones that "get it" are the lifelong clients. The best we can do to please them is the best we can do.
From contributor Pa
I totally agree about not using Minwax. If a customer wants a Minwax colour then my ML Campbell distributor has the formula for that colour and makes it in their Woodsong II stain. Sherwin Williams distributors can do the same with their Sherwood line of stains.
From contributor Je
Beginners think Minwax is great mostly because that is all they have used and is available to them. I think we've probably all been in that place for at least a short time in the beginning. Minwax works good on oak, but that is almost the extent of it. If you try staining any difficult wood with it, its a disaster (maple, poplar, ect.). It is very limited in color changing of a piece. The Minwax diehards will say "get some of that minwax conditioner"...it doesn't work that well either and their are much better ways.
When you step up to a good quality wiping stain with some pigment, you will not believe the difference. It will stain nearly anything without blotching. To take it a step further, spray some non grain raising stain or aniline dye first to get the piece darker than the stain will, seal it with a vinyl sealer, and then apply the wiping stain or glaze and topcoat over that.
I know it sounds like alot of work compared to wiping minwax, but it's really not and the array of colors and shades you can get is endless without worrying about bleeding or blotching.
From contributor Ed
Thanks everyone. The client is a family member. They completely understand that Minwax isn't great. They just love all the colors in their natural walnut floor and wanted to try and recreate a similiar color on the oak. The flooring only meets at one doorway. There's also some more oak to be refinished in the future and I won't be doing it. Hence the reason for Minwax. For my real work I always use stains fron General Finishes or Target Coatings.
From contributor Da
I'll give you two finish schedules to get this color.
Sched 1:
1. Sand 180 grit ROS.
2. Hand sand 150 grit with the grain.
3. Wipe on/off stain:
Minwax Ebony 2718 (20-ml).
Minwax Pre-Stain Wood Conditioner _ (120-ml).
Quinacridone Violet (7-ml).
4. Topcoat.
You can add in more quinacridone violet, one or two more milliliters to the mix, depending on the degree of purplish tones you want to bring out. I used the 866 series for this mix, not the 844 series. The 866 series is a medium oil base, very nice for stains. The 844 series will work just fine, it's a different base, but it will work just fine if you have better access to that. The colorant is super expensive, almost $80 per quart, versus the typical $30 per quart of most of the other colors. Get a tube of artist oils if you don't have access to this industrial paste colorant.
Sched 2:
1. Sand 180 grit ROS.
2. Hand sand 150 grit with the grain.
3. Wipe on/off stain:
Minwax Ebony 2718 (20-ml).
Minwax Pre-Stain Wood Conditioner _ (120-ml).
Quinacridone Violet (7-ml).
4. Lightly wipe off & dry brush.
5. Seal.
6. Lightly wipe (tone) MLC glaze Van Dyke Brown. Dry brush with the grain, no brush strokes. The piece should look like you hit it with toner, as I said, no brush strokes.
7. Topcoat.
Make sure to mix the custom blend stain often, like every time you reach into the stain bucket. Whether it's 866 colorant, 844 colorant, or artist oil, the color additive settles out of dispersion fast, and I mean fast.
Your wiping stain mix should sort of look like grape juice, that color. You can also use the Van Dyke Brown glaze step in the first schedule, it adds a real nice brown. VDB has an aura of brown transparency, it's such a useful color in the world of staining.
From contributor So
I will definitely try this one. Thank you Daniel for giving the step-by-step guide!
