Getting the color of old pine panelling

[calerner]

Every now and then I want to get pine to look to the even red-brown color of old pine panelling such as:

can usually get close with different combination of dyes, pigment stains, glazes, etc, but was wondering if there was an easier way. I can't believe that people putting up lots of panelling in the past did much to it other than maybe wipe on one stain and a then add a (relatively) clear topcoat. Was old panelling usually colored in some way or is it just time affecting the wood and topcoat that achieves the look?

Thanks.

Charles

[dpb]

[e-mail] wrote: ...

Yes, in virtually every case. UV is prime culprit along w/ slow oxidation and all else that happens w/ time.

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[nailshooter41]

On my computer screen, I am seeing an orange/red/brown color. That won't be from aging. Someone stained it, or used a colored shellac, depending on the contractor or the age. You will have to do the same to match. The difficulty in matching those colors is that if it was stained, the topcoat will pick up those colors into the finish if it is an old solvent based finish - which it almost certainly is, if it is in older house. Then as the finish gets older, it begins to amber and it adds its own color in the mix as well.

On the other hand, if the picture you posted was really just yellowed or ambered and my computer monitor doesn't color match, I agree with dpb. Pine in particular will amber and change color due to its high resin content reacting to the finishes.

If you can imagine the resin in a pine board reacting that much over a period of years, next time you pull some of that paneling down, cut one of those knots and smell the board. I have cut that stuff that was decades old and it still had a strong pine odor.

Robert

[Steve Turner]

For a minute there I was trying to figure out how you got stain on your computer monitor...

[dpb]

Probably should have looked first, but w/ dialup it takes a long time to load a lot of times... :)

I'll agree that particular room probably had a "red mahogany" or similar stain applied initially; it's more reddish on my monitor as well than just varnish/shellac/surface yellowing.

Then again, it looks like the photo was taken w/ flash and is somewhat underexposed which can really tend to accentuate the reds.

But, (as you're well aware, of course :) ), to get _anything_ new to match at all well will definitely take staining just as it takes creative finishing to match any aged surface even it it had only a varnish applied initially.

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[Larry Blanchard]

Garnet shellac?

[Puckdropper]

Steve Turner wrote in news:fhQul.12594$pr6.9697 @flpi149.ffdc.sbc.com:

It's really coffee. Obviously Robert took a sip before loading a funny message and missed the keyboard. Easy to do. :-)

Puckdropper

[dpb]

Possibly although I'd think for a room been more likely to have just used varnish over a stain. Looking 60's-ish, be my guess from the pitchur shown...

[Lee Michaels]

I was wondering the exact same thing. But you know Robert. He will apply finish to anything. Nothing is safe. Not even his computer monitor.

[nailshooter41]

OK... well there is a pretty healthy coat of coffee on the monitor and keyboard after reading the Steve, Pucks, and your post.

It was kind of a cumulative effect. I started chuckling at the first one, then it was a belly laugh by the time I go here.

All probably a little more true than I would like to think....

Robert

[Robatoy]

Looks like varnish and 20 years to me. No stain. Just a few coats of spar varnish.

[Pat Barber]

Three things are needed:

SYP pine paneling. Coat with lacquer. Wait a few years.

The > Every now and then I want to get pine to look to the even red-brown

[SonomaProducts.com]

This is the beauty of Pine. That is exactly the color of old pine. It might take 10 or more years but that is what Pine does left to it's own devices a beautiful deep organish redish brown. Go look at some of the old floors on the east coast. I've played with lot's of colors over the years trying to get it to get there sooner. The closest I have come out of the can is Ipswitch pine from Minwax. Not sure if that is spelled correctly. Not perfect or as deep but heads it in the right direction. Also colonial maple which is to orange but covered over with ipswitch or puritan it is also headed towards the nice warm color.

Yellow> > > ...is it just time affecting the wood and topcoat that achieves > > > the look? >

[Charlie Groh]

...Zar makes an "Aged Varnish" stain (no.129) that saved the day for me when working a pine kitchen...comes close to the old Watco products.

cg

[Marty]

Try two coats of General Topcoat and one coat of General Candlelite Gel Stain. Add more Candlelite if you need it darker. Then finish with Topcoat - (but not necessary). Candlelite is much more 'red' than shown on their website.

stuff has been a great help for me in matching colors on antiques. Never used it on Pine though....

[calerner]

thanks for all the input.

Charles