Matching new wood to old? (Douglas Fir)

Dave Minnich

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Messages
76
Location
Hendersonville, NC
I've got some repairs to do to the balusters of a staircase made from Douglas Fir. The original finish on the fir was oil of some sort, but I don't know what formulation/blend it was. Of course, over time (15 years) the fir has darkened and reddened.

As I replace pieces of the old wood I'm faced with a decision about how best to match the color. I know that over the course of several months the new wood will start to darken, but it may take quite a while for the color to get close to a match on its own, if indeed it ever does.

The options I'm considering are:
1) leave the new wood unfinished for a while, possibly putting the milled pieces out in the direct sunlight to speed the aging, then finish in several months.
2) finish the new wood now with a clear oil, making sure to use a finish without UV blockers so that the wood continues to darken.
3) finish the new wood now with an oil tinted to match the color of the old wood. In this case I'm not sure if I'd be better off to use a finish with UV blockers or not, since I'm not sure how much more color shift I should expect from the old wood.

I welcome your feedback about these, or other, options. Anyone done this before with success?


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dave you dont want to use a finish with uv blockers, that is what makes it darken,, my suggestion would be a light coat of shellac sealer. something can be applied over it at any time and toned if nessacary.
 
dave you dont want to use a finish with uv blockers, that is what makes it darken,, my suggestion would be a light coat of shellac sealer. something can be applied over it at any time and toned if nessacary.

Larry,
I think that you're saying a finish with blockers will be initially darker, right? The darkening that I'm referring to occurs whether or not the wood is finished, just like cherry will darken over time when exposed to light.


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Dave here is how you do it.
I'm not sure how much you need but if its about a qt worth take

1 steel wool pad place in
1 qt. of white vinegar
Get a sample of the wood your using , every 6 hours take a cotton rag and dip into the qt. wipe on the text section.
do not wipe over the 1st section. Pick a clean spot for each test. Sometimes depending on how dark the old wood is it can take 24 to 36 hours to get there.
Pull the steel wool out when you reach the desired tone.

Please post pictures of your process , Id appreciate it.

Dave
 
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