Help matching stain/finish

[pelligrini]

I've got a chest of drawers that was mine from my first days. I had to rebuild two drawers. When I got it back from my sister I had one front remaining from the two top drawers. I was told that they didn't survive being thrown off the apartment balcony. My kids did a little damage with a pocket knife to a pull and the top too.

I probably should have tried to match the species of the existing veneer (it's all veneer, whatever it is), but I used some red oak I already had. I need some help in getting the woods to match in color. I think I can live with the grain differences.

These three photos below show the state it is now. I used some Minwax stain conditioner and then some of their English Chestnut Stain. The oak front and pulls have had about 3 applications of that stain and one application of a darker one before the last Chestnut application last night. The pull on the far right is the original 4 decade old finish.



The woods appear very similar when the new stuff is covered in stain, but it doesn't once it is wiped off. The finish coat is probably going to be a natural Danish oil. I'm just not too sure how to get the new wood to match the rest. I have a feeling that successive coats will not get me there.

Here's some shots with the un-wiped stain and before it got anything applied.

[cabinetman]

You may have to go to a more heavily pigmented oil base stain, or an alcohol based (methanol) aniline dye powder. You may have to wipe off what you've stained. You could experiment on the reverse side.

A Danish oil finish is in reality a mix of oil (either Tung or BLO), mineral spirits, and varnish). If you've experimented with that, and like it, you could mix your own for far less than a pre-mix. Or, you could make up a wiping mix with a sheen of oil base polyurethane that you like.

The final color won't be achieved until all the finish goes on and cures. So, just because your stained piece may resemble the existing pieces, it may change in color when the finish is applied to the stained piece. You should allow each application of whatever you add to dry completely. If you do any mixing of stains, dyes, or finishes, keep track of the ratio of the mixed ingredients.
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