# Help matching old finish



## bmlud76 (Mar 21, 2013)

Looking for suggestions on what to try to match this old finish before I blow more money on random finish supplies I don't need. I've tried various standard colors and shellac. I'm pretty new to finishing.

This is the original woodwork on the main floor of my house, I think it's pine, I need to try to replicate the woodwork for the second floor which has none of the original woodwork left, why someone would rip it out and replace it with modern is beyond me but anyways. Southern yellow pine is hard to come by around here and I haven't had much luck finding any old salvage woodwork, so my plan was to use select 1x pine from the box store to replicate the casings for now. I know it will never look the same due to the difference in the wood, but I'd like to get it fairly close in color.

Amber shellac comes somewhat close but doesn't have the darker hughes or the red 

Thanks


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## lacman (Mar 13, 2012)

I commend you on trying to replicate the woodwork in your house. What are you using for shellac? Are you going to use shellac as your finish coats? As you probably know new clear pine is not going to give you the right grain pattern. That said I would try this process. Buy some dewaxed shellac flakes or pre-mixed liquid from Jeff Jewitt at "www.homesteadfinishingproducts.com". Apply a couple of 3/4 lb. coats of dewaxed garnet shellac. Scuff sand between coats. Then use some Trans-Tint dyes (Medium Brown or Brown Mahogany). Add them to the garnet shellac to adjust the color. You can buy Trans-Tints at same website. Then apply the mixed shellac to your woodwork. Do not add dye to first coats of shellac or it will bleed and become blotchy. After you have reached the right color then use the untinted dewaxed Garnet to complete your process. If you want to use varnish, I would recommend Epifanes varnish. I am not a fan of polyurethane when duplicating old finishes.


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## lacman (Mar 13, 2012)

Sorry I just checked Homestead Finishing's website and they do not carry dewaxed garnet. Instead use the dewaxed dark. Purchase some dewaxed pale #3 for tinting the shellac and then use the dewaxed dark to build the amber color. So you need two kinds of shellac. Sorry if that causes confusion for you. Buy small quantities at first and make samples.


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## bmlud76 (Mar 21, 2013)

Thanks, I'll give it a shot. I had just been messing around with the premixed shellac Zinssers. I know the new pine won't have the right grain pattern but I figured it would look better to replicate the trim style rather than buy modern trim. I had thought about using varnish but maybe the shellac will suffice for the finish coat. Maybe I'll eventually find some salvage trim but in the meantime this will have to do. Thanks for the reply


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

You might come closer to matching the wood with douglas fir. It's available in a lot of places in 2x4's if that is wide enough. You could resaw them to come closer to 3/4" thickness or just surface them in a planer. You might also talk to the manager at your local lumber company and see if they can order some yellow pine for you. The finish looks like a varnish that has yellowed to me. You can achieve the yellow color by using amber shellac with a coat or two and finish over it with clear shellac or you could use polyurethane if the amber shellac you use is a de-waxed shellac. The fir is normally redder than pine to begin with but if you need to add some red tone to it you can use transtint dye or an aniline dye.


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