matching Stickley finish

[peter]

I'm trying to match the darkest of the Stickley finishes, the antiqued look, and I'm trying to do it without getting and mixing a bunch of stuff. I figured there's got a be a basic stain out there like "dark stickley" or something pathetically simple like that. I wish I had the time and money to do this right, but the pieces aren't expensive, and I just need to get the color close. I've tried different stains, but none are dark enough. Thank you for any help. Peter [e-mail]

[musials]

Fume with ammonia.

[toller]

I got a perfect match with brown dye and mahogany stain; on cherry.

[Swingman]

If there was a cabal, it would now be haunting your every move ... if there was a cabal.

[Vic Baron]

What kind of dye, toller? DO they make a wood dye, per se, or are you talking about something else?

Thx

[Andy Dingley]

So do it right - it's a cheap technique and G Stickley wrote it up personally. If you can't find reasonable descriptions of it on-line with

30 seconds Google, then you're not trying.

[toller]

Vague superficial answers aren't good enough?

I used a mix of 3 parts Transfast Extra Dark Walnut and 1 part Antique Cherry Red; water soluble dye. Bought it at WoodCrafter Supply. I then put Minwax gel Mahogany over it.

I am sure you can get the right color with different dyes and stains. The important point is that I found using both a dye and a stain gave exactly the same appearance as the Stickley finish; which I presume is a tinted lacquer.

[toller]

The cabal, collectively.

[Doug Miller]

What's the purpose of using cherry, only to cover it up with "brown dye and mahogany stain"? The same effect could have been achieved with dye and stain over poplar or soft maple, at one-third the cost - and you wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

[B a r r y]

Try adding a glaze between the stain and clear coats. A glaze will darken overall, but also build up in the nooks and crannies, adding to the "antique" look. Darkened clear coats can also be used with or without the glaze, to sneak up on the final look.

Use dewaxed shellac, like Zinnser Seal Coat, or some other universal sanding sealer between the stains, glazes, and clear coats. The sealer will prevent each step from messing with the last, and even provide a measure of "undo", in case you make a mistake.

Practice and note each step on some stock leftover from the project, or a hidden area on the piece, before trying them for the first time.

Barry

[musials]

[D. Mo]

Ammonia fuming is the traditional method. Don't want to try that? Then might I suggest you go to your local library and look at the article starting on page 48 of BHG Wood issue #158, that's the October 04 issue. It details how Alan Noel of Atlanta acheives the look of ammonia fumiong using a staining technique employing Minwax Red Oak stain and unfibered roofing ashphalt a 4:1 ration in mixing I believe.

D. Mo

[jo4hn]

We are not pleased.

[musials]

The first 3 rows of a rap concert?

Congress?

Home Shopping Network viewers?

[fredfighter]

Ah yes, exactly what I thought you meant...

[Vic Baron]

OF COURSE!!! Why didn't I see that right away - my bad.

Thanx :)

[Mark & Juanita]

Actually, according to F Paul Wilson (science fiction writer, "An Enemy of the State"), since a rap concert could reasonably be called a mob, to find the IQ of a mob, you take the average IQ of the people in the mob and divide by the number of people in the mob to get the collective IQ. i.e.

100 people, avg IQ of 80 => mob IQ = 0.8: about the IQ of a reasonably smart rock or the required IQ to actually enjoy rap music. ;-) +--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ If you're gonna be dumb, you better be tough +--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

[Andy Dingley]

square root of the number of people, surely ?

[Swingman]

IOW, government office workers (when not on break).during the day, and rap aficionado's at night?

[Unquestionably Confused]

While I question Mark & Juanita's math in determining collective intelligence of the mob, I guess they can't be too far off since those who enjoy that sort of music are obviously fairly dense. I mean, how smart can they be when they keep forgetting to include the "silent C" in cRap Music?