Colours and Colour Matching.

Chapter 3.

Colours and colour matching.

For success in staining three requisites are necessary: a knowledge of the art of staining; a knowledge of and familiarity with the characteristics of different kinds of wood; an acquaintance with the properties of stains and dyes, and the art of blending them so that artistic and harmonious effects may be produced.
The art of staining and the nature of woods have already been discussed, but some further reference to the artistic effects produced by staining is necessary.
The three primary colours into which white sunlight is divided are red, yellow, and blue. But when you hold a prism before a screen, you see in addition to these colours four others, orange, green, indigo and violet. These four are produced by the overlapping of the three primary colours.
When two colours are mixed together and produce white, they are called complementary.
These colours are most important from the artistic point of view, because they form the greatest possible contrast. The following is a table of complimentary colours:

Red.
Greenish-Blue.
Orange.
Cyan Blue.
Yellow.
Ultramarine Blue.
Greenish Yellow.
Violet.
Green.
Purple.

The following colours harmonise well. Red forms effective contrasts with blacks, whites or yellows, blues harmonise with whites and yellows, gold with blacks or browns, white looks well with any colour.
With these general hints in view, the beginner who wishes to master the art of staining should experiment with diligence with a view to gaining an exact knowledge of colours and their various shades. He should first procure a piece of white wood, mark it into a large number of squares like a chess board, then stain in the squares on the left hand with the colours red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. After this proceed to intermix the different colours, for instance, add a little orange to the red and produce a red-orange, and stain in the next square. Keep on adding more of one of the two stains until a range of tints has been obtained. Then try another combination until all the squares are filled with a variety of shades.
Another range of tints may be obtained by applying the pure stains in the first squares as strong as possible. After this dilute them with a little water or spirit, and apply the mixture to the next square. For the third square dilute further by using more of the spirit or water, and so on. In this way you can obtain a colour register of all the shades required in your work, and you can plan it according to your taste.

For this purpose you must obtain an ample selection of stains, dyes and colours. You should be able to get these from any oil dealer or chemist, who will no doubt give any special information or directions about the nature of the wares they sell. As said in a previous chapter aniline dyes give a fine range of colours. Dolly dyes, though more expensive than those sold loose, are very powerful stains, and a quarter ounce of each is all that is needed at first. To make the colour of the aniline dyes fast, vinegar must be mixed with the water. Carefully label all bottles or jars in which the colours are stored, and do not expose them to dust or dirt.

Overglazing.
When staining small articles of furniture, such as fretwork, some very fine effects can be obtained by applying one stain over another of a different colour. Deep blue with striking effectcan be used over any bright colour. Furniture treated in this way gains a richness of colour not obtainable in any other way. Many possibilities lie in the judicious use of stains, that to the decorator with artistic perceptions are both alluring and practicable.

Uniform Colouring.
When, as it sometimes happens, a piece of wood to be stained is darker in some parts than others, it is necessary to bring the wood to a uniform colour. To do this either the darker parts must be bleached or the lighter parts darkened. For bleaching the dark parts, a strong soloution of oxalic acid must be prepared. This is done by dissolving 2 ounces of the acid in a pint of boiling water. Apply this to the parts of wood you wish to lighten in colour. If the stain is deep, two or three applications of the solution may be necessary. When this has been done, coat the parts affected with vinegar, this will neutralise the effects of the acid.
The darkening of parts of a piece of wood which is patchy in colour may be accomplished by the use of lime or ammonia, but many stainers do not trouble about this, as they find that giving an extra coat of stain to the parts affected answers the purpose. The same object may also be by deepening the natural colour of the wood with red oil and other colouring matter.

Floor Stains.
The cheapest stains of any colour are made with aniline colours dissolved in hot water. Many of these may fade, but yellow, red, and brown, especially when covered with a coat of linseed oil, will last for a very long time. Any shade may, of course, be obtained by mixing.

Light Red Floor Stain.
Boil a third of a pint of madder to a quarter pound fustic to one gallon of water. Brush the work when boiling hot until properly stained.

Oak Floor Stain.
Wash the wood carefully in a solution of one pound copperas dissolved in one gallon strong lye-water. When the wood is dry after saturation, oil it, and it will look fresh for a year or two. When it fades, restain and oil. The hands must be protected while applying the stain, or they will become blistered.

Dark Oak Stain.
A simple brown stain in imitation of dark oak for use on common spruce or white wood, is one pennyworth of permanganate of potash dissolved in one quart of water. This produces a useful shade, which becomes darker with each successive application.

Staining Wicker Work.
Baskets are generally coloured with water stains, and the cheapest for this purpose is possibly bismark brown, one ounce of which is sufficient to stain many dozens of small baskets. This operation can be done quickly and effectively by using a vessel that will hold enough water to dip the baskets in. Fill the vessel with hot water and stir in enough of the dye to get the required shade. Then before the water has time to cool, the baskets should be quickly dipped one by one in the solution. Where baskets are to big to be dipped, the dye should be poured over them with a ladle. As the stain becomes exhausted, it should be strengthened from time to time by the addition of freshly made stain.

The following proportions of colours and directions are given for staining basket work,
Blue, Dissolve three ounces Bengal blue in four pints of boiling water. The fluid should be stirred and filtered through fine cambric.

Red, Dissolve three ounces of coral red in five pints of lukewarm water.
Violet, Dissolve three ounces of methyl violet in one gallon of lukewarm water.
Golden Yellow, Dissolve three ounces of naphthaline yellow in half a gallon of water.
Dark Walnut, one pennyworth of nut galls, one pennyworth of Vandyke brown, a quarter pound of potash, a gallon of water. Crush the nut galls and mix with the potash in a pint of water, then put in the Vandyke, mix well into a paste, and add the rest of the water. This may be used hot or cold.

The quantities here stated give a heavy stain, and may be diluted with water to get the shade required by the user. When the baskets are quite dry, give a coat of hard spirit varnish.

Woods for staining.

This is a practical guide for the amateur (and proffesional) French Polisher and Furniture Restorer. Full of helpful hints towards Staining wood, colour matching wood, french polishing and varnishing.

Be sure to bookmark this page and use the guide as you work.And visit our website www.hungary4deco.co.uk to see where some of these techniques have been used to restore some beautiful pieces of Art Deco Furniture.

Woods for Staining.

Both hard and soft woods may be stained, but soft woods are more used for this purpose, because they include the cheaper varieties that are used for imitating the more expensive woods, like mahogany, ebony, and oak, which belong to the hard-wood class. Light-coloured woods are the best for staining, but almost any kind can be used in this way if it has been planed smooth, is free from grease or dirt, and has few knots. Birch is much used for staining a mahogany colour. Beech is also employed for the same purpose. Deal provides an excellent material for imitating plain walnut. Cherry, holly, pear, and hazelwood, when stained, afford good ebony effects. American whitewood is a valuable staining wood on account of its freedom from knots.

Preparing Wood For Staining.
As already said, the surface of the wood to be stained should be smooth. If possible, any knots should be cut out and replaced with pieces of the same material. To make the wood perfectly smooth give it a rub over with No. o glass-paper. This must be done with as long sweeps as possible, and the rubbing should be done in the same direction as the grain. If there are any dirt or grease marks left after the application of the glass-paper, these may be removed by rubbing with a rag dipped in benzine.

If the wood is of poor quality and is porous – either the whole surface, or large patches of it – glue size should be applied. This is cheap, and can be procured anywhere. The size should be of medium strength, otherwise it may cause the finishing coats to crack. The strength of the size may be determined by the state of the wood. In cheap deal some parts are much more porous and open in texture than other. In such cases the size should be strong. It should be applied warm to the wood, but only a very thing coat should be brushed on. Japanner’s gold size and turpentine mixed in equal quantities, and oil varnishes are sometimes used for the same purpose as glue size, and are useful in preventing the absorption of soft and spongy woods. But it should be remembered that hard and nonporous woods need no preliminary coats before applying stains, as these tend to defeat the very purpose for which stains are put on – the penetration of the wood.

Before applying a water stain, a stopping made from equal parts of finest plaster of paris and whiting should be used.

Putting on the Stain.
For applying satin a good hog-hair brush should be used, and there is nothing better for the purpose than a ready ground oval varnish brush.
If you are not quite sure of the colour, it is best to experiment in the first place on a square piece of wood or the inside of a cupboard door.
Effective staining needs speed and ready brush-work. Water, spirit, and varnish stains all dry very quickly, and the work must be so done that not more than one edge needs to be kept “alive” . In other words, another brushful must be applied before the previous one has had time to set, otherwise the work will look patchy and show the joinings.
Oil stains are the easiest to work with, as they are of a very slow-drying nature. They therefore present no difficulties. But the other stains mentioned must, if they are to be applied with success be put on in a methodical and prearranged way. To begin, as the amateur often does, in the middle of a panel, and then fill it in on both sides until the mouldings are reached is to invite failure. For in this way there are two edges to be kept alive, and the operator will find great difficulty in avoiding with the brush places that are already partially dry. The best method is to begin at one side near the moulding, and then to apply a new brushful to the edge of the part just stained. In this way there is only one edge to keep alive, and unsightly smudges are avoided. The following points should be noted by the inexperienced: Avoid brushing out the stain. Always work with a fairly filled brush. Do not retouch. In staining a door, a skilled operator can work down stiles, rails, and moulding, but the beginner should not attempt this, and it is better to do the moulding first, then the rails, and finally the stiles. Care should be taken in finishing the tops and bottoms of panels, as often, when the panel is finished, it is found that these parts are lighter than the rest. To obviate this the brush should be moved lightly upwards towards the moulding and downwards towards the bottom.

Stippling.
Oil stains are the best for the beginner to practise with, as they dry slowly. If they are applied too freely they run, especially with a hard non-porous wood. If new wood is used, the oil is absorbed before “running” can take place. Where there is a tendency to this, the stain should be stippled as soon as applied. Stippling is quite a simple operation that requires no special skill, and is done by dabbing the stain evenly all over with a dry brush. The ends of this brush should be strong and square.

General Hints For Staining.
Spirit stains evaporate very quickly, and are therefore suitable only for fretwork, small surfaces like little pieces of furniture, and picture frames. They should not be used for large plain surfaces. For these oil stains are the best.
Don’t use good-quality brushes in stains that contain chemicals such as soda or lime. This class of stain destroys the bristles. If large surfaces are to be covered with a chemical stain, use a sponge.

Beaumontage, or hard stopping, is commonly used for filling up nail-holes, or other breaks in the wood. It is made of equal parts of beeswax and resin to which a little shellac is added. These are melted together in an iron ladle. To these a colour to match the stain is generally added. Beaumontage can be bought ready-made in sticks similar to sealing-wax.Stainers can obtain very artistic effects by the use of coloured fillers. These consist of ordinary transparent silex fillers mixed with a dry pigment to colour them. When these are rubbed into the wood after a coat of stain, the pores and open parts of the grain appear in colour, and the hard part of the wood retains its natural appearance. To those who have studied colour effects and have artistic taste, this method should make a strong appeal.

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