On Wed, 17 Mar 2010 09:19:43 -0700 (PDT), the infamous
" scrawled the
following:

On Mar 17, 7:17*am, Larry Jaques wrote:

I like the contrasting idea.

It has save my bacon many, many times. A couple of my fellow
finishers here in town *still* try to match colors, the way they used
to match paint colors up in the old days.

It's nuts. Even if it matches today, it may not match well tomorrow.

And it _always_ looks different under any light other than the one it
was matched with.


The new plywoods (OK... this is a working theory between me and
another finishing wonk) have something different about their
manufacture that make it change the color of the wood after it is
colored and sealed.

Isn't it just the oxidation of both the finish and the wood
underneath?


It's something. I don't know for sure, but I am thinking that it has
to be the glue used in manufacture. Most of us down here that make a
few cabs once in a while (like me) use the pre cut rail and stile
material which is all soft maple.

So when I dye (don't use stain much anymore as I can't spray it! )

Better. When the last client asked me to stain the cabinet I built
for them, I cringed. Once when they asked, the second time when they
handed me the PolyShades. The solids went after the grain, darkening
it horribly, and leaving the plain hickory face much lighter. And how
do you match oak iron-on tape to hickory with Poly**** all over it and
no extra money for color work? Oh, well. It was a huge remodeling
job, a 6'x7' kitchen in a guest cottage. g


the cabs all look the same hue after sealing.

I, um, guess that's a good thing.


Later (say a year or more), I have noticed that the rails/stiles and
the carcass end panels are different colors. The clients don't
notice as it happens gradually. But if I am there for new work, I do.

Ayup.


So what else could be the odd man out but the glue? And with the
actual veneers being as thin as sheer panty hose (scratch that...
thigh highs with garters.... mmmmm.....) it is VERY possible that the
glues they use in China a Chile are out gassing when we buy them.

Glues attacking the finish and/or the wood? Glue fuming the wood?


That might be a perfect job to put a very dark brick red cherry dye on
and see how they like that.

Most folks, whose taste is all in their mouths, would love it.

Hey.... I like it too!

You like ancient cherry, darker than walnut and damnear ebony?
That's not as bad as a fake cherry finish on crapwood, though.


Well, not all of it, but some of it anyway. It has to go with the
color scheme. A couple of years ago I did some deep red colored doors
and trims at the entrance (4" wide panel door) of a local upscale
country club. It was 1/2 Behlens Walnut and 1/2 Behlens Dark Mahogany
dye, sprayed with a 75% reduction of alcohol through a 1mm nozzle.

They were beautiful when finished.

OK, but things like that have to be lit well or they look black.
The darker woods in kitchens lit with 4kW of lamps look pretty cool,
but at what cost? All that light costs money to operate and it
bleaches the wood in the process.


Later, a client had me do the same color in their kitchen. They had
the greenish black marble counters in their home, and it looked
great. Very classy, and had a very stately look to it. Not my choice
for the kitchen, but it wasn't my house, either.

That does sound classy. I love this marble:



So for me, If I have to stain, I like the Old Masters stuff the best.

My "custom" color is 4 parts Walnut with 1 part Mahogany stirred in
it. I don't mix it completely. That way when I apply it you get
hints (I do mean just hints) of a different hue when finished. You
can't pick out the actual red, but you know it isn't just plain
brown.

Sounds much better than plain old RBS.


Personally, I just can't stand plain brown wood unless it is it is
naturally occurring.

Ditto.


And I absolutely, completely, entirely HATE golden oak. I am sick of
looking at it.

Yeah, it has become far to prevalent and common. Cedar fencing causes
the same visceral reaction in me. "Cedar" colored finishes just
_suck_.


Next peeve, someone around here has taken to putting black stain on
knotty pine in cabinets. ?? I have seen this in very expensive
houses, and it absolutely looks like crap.

Swing - is that a trend in new home building cabinets?

It sounds an awful lot like "distressing" to me. Is the same crowd
calling for it? "Ebonized Naughty Pineywood, only $18.79/sf more!"
Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!

--
No matter how cynical you are, it is impossible to keep up.
--Lily Tomlin