[Jimmy Ross]

I tried this in the off topic section and didn't get any suggestions so I will try this one.
I have built a Octagon table out of cherry. I need to stain it to match the cherry bedroom suit I have. Everybody calls it cherry but it looks like a reddish mahogany. If you buy the normal cherry stain it don't come close to the cherry bedroom suit.
Has anybody got any idea what color stain the furniture manufactors use?

Thanks, Jimmy

 

[Mike]

Jimmy, this is a tough one. The natural variations in color of wood in a single tree can be tough to blend together. The best suggestion I can make is to experiment with some scrap from your project. The deep dark reddish color is most likely a build up of several different products; perhaps some gel stain, a glaze, some type of top coat to seal and protect. I would start with a very light coat of thinned shelac or sanding sealer which is to be wiped off right away, followed by cherry gel stain. It might take two coats to achieve a deep cherry tint. Next comes the glaze which will look dark brown in color. You will have to spread it on and then rubbing with the grain remove part of it. You are trying to achieve a color match close to the bedroom set. Your top coat could be clear or yellow tinted so be careful on your choice. I would contact an expert in your area or at one of the companies web sites. Without seeing the color not even they can guarantee a perfect match. As a starting point visit www.minwax.com or the manufacturer of your choice.

 

[jerrymayfield]

The color of your bedroom furn. is not what cherry looks like it is some"color experts"
idea of what true cherry might look like someday. Cherry is very photo-sensitive,when exposed to uv rays it darkens,more rapidly at first. As a test put a small scrap of cherry with a small piece of tape or other covering outside for a few days and see the change in color,then remove the covering to see how much it changed color.whatever you do the cherry will continue to darken a little.It is very difficult to anticipate how much. If interested email me and i will explain how the furniture makers get their color and my favorite finish for cherry.
regards
jerry

 

[reible]

This might be a little off the wall but are you sure the bedroom set is really cherry? We have a "cherry" dresser that looks like cherry but when you see places where it is not "stained" you know it is not cherry. The gain and color look so real but the wood says otherwise.

I don't mean to imply that yours is not cherry but this is a little different thought for you, I missed it and I had made a gun rack out of cherry only a few years before... and the person who sold it to us most likely didn't know either. It is a nicely made piece and was from some good manufacturer just not the wood it looks like. Still a good deal as far as I'm concerned.

Ed

 

[PEARCO]

Cherry color

Jimmy,

We have the same problem quite often. A customer will want us to build a unit of some type to match an existing item with similar coloring. We will take a item of that color and some sample scraps of the mateial we used to a local paint dealer and have him/her mix tints to standard stain or paint to get the desired results. It takes some time, but if it produces a happy customer, then it's ok. By the way, go to a independant dealer, not one of the big box stores. This has allways given better results.



Jim

 

[Woodnut65]

Hi: It may not be cherry at all. I suggest that you get a color chart, I use Minwax mostly. match the color chart to your bedroom furniture. If you have a good paint store they will be able to match the color with a stain, but you would have tom bring a sample of the the furniture like a drawer or something, along with some sample cherry that you used on the project. Cherry has a tendency to blotch, I usually use a sealer before applying the stain. Hope this helps. Woodnut65

 

[Jimmy Ross]

Thanks a lot, this has helped me a bunch. I was hoping that the bedroom furniture was made out of cherry but you could be right. I was debating over using a sealer before staining but was not sure about that either so, I will go ahead and seal it before I start staining. I do use Minwax products and will try checking with them as well. I will give you all feedback on how it turns out when I am finished with it. Again, thanks for the info and advice. Jimmy

 

[dragon1]

You might want to try this:

Take a scrap and stain it red mahogany and then try the cherry over it.

Does the furniture look more brown than red?

 

[Marco]

Hi Jimmy some great advice on this thread on how to match your bedroom suit.....

No advice here but did buy and the Minwax Cherry stain and the finish looked very close to a Pecan Shell finish.. I was disapointed but learned a lesson......... Minwax's Red Mahogany to me is the closest thing to cherry that they carry............ use some of the advice given on this thread and I'm sure you will match your table to your bedroom suit