Thread: Changing the color of furniture - help

Can you spray a coat of toned Nitro on it, then rub it back to dull it down...

I'd mix some metho up with some lacquer thinners, that might lift it to some degree

Then a walnut lacquer spray stain over it

On reflection I'd try to find an experienced (spray) polisher.
A good one should be able to spray the stain and the final finish

Just tint some Acrylic lacquer to the walnut colour you want and redo.

Acrylic lacquer is easy to get ( if you already don't have it go to a auto paint supplier). Nitro won't adhere to the acrylic as it leaches solvent for months.

Clean the old surface with turps,or you can use a wax and grease remover but its only a slightly stronger version of turps. Wet a clean rag wipe the surface and immediately wipe off with a clean dry rag.

You can use the turps as a lube instead of linseed oil to rub the clear ( a few minutes after the acrylic lacquer has been sprayed if you mess the spraying up -runs dirt, drips etc) it won't hurt the clear and the sludge can be wiped away and more paint applied immediately.

There is no point in using linseed oil it only makes the surface oily and hinders any further spraying. The clear is usually rubbed with water but turps allows you to work on the clear sooner.

Tint the clear with some acrylic tinter to get your walnut colour apply till you get the colour you want. Keep the mix weak and thin and spray light coats ( even dust it on by holding the gun a fair way away) you can always apply more if its not strong enough but it will be harder to remove a coat that is too heavy.

As you may have only put on a thin layer to get your colour right spray 3 coats of straight clear over the tinted clear. This will allow you to work on the new surface without wrecking the colour you achieved. You can use normal clear it will give you about 70% gloss of the gun, cut it back with the turps if you want to reduce the gloss or you can add flatting base to the clear which will give you less gloss. The gloss can be altered by varying the amount of flatting base.

Depending on what you consider old look it's also possible to get additives to make the clear textured even cracked if thats what you want but as its mainly the colour you are worried about I presume flatting it with 2000 is OK.

Originally Posted by durwood

Acrylic lacquer is easy to get ( if you already don't have it go to a auto paint supplier). Nitro won't adhere to the acrylic as it leaches solvent for months.

oops! I knew that...not.

What Durwood has explained is the only way I would fix it, unless you strip it and start again. Who's boo-boo was it?

Go easy on the toner coats as it starts to cloud the grain as the layers build.

Originally Posted by durwood

Just tint some Acrylic lacquer to the walnut colour you want and redo.....

Brilliant Durwood if you were near by i would shout you a beer.

That was a great run down and i now know what to do. Once again thanks.

And thanks Bob and Tim

Whos fault Um... maybe a bit of 50/50 I was spewin as it was my first finishing job with my new 150/3 and it was a ripper. Better than anything i have done before. Shame about the color

Good luck with it. Looks like a few hrs gone into that one.

Originally Posted by martrix

Looks like a few hrs gone into that one.

It has and thats why im cranky. It had been delivered and 2 days later they decided the color was wrong, So i have to go pick it back up and re finish and re deliver

It was also my first ever go at parquetry and i was tickled pink with how it turned out. Strangely enough my next job is a Cherry table with cabriols and parquetry top for a different person. Strange.

Here Liggy I fixed it for yer!

Are you charging them any extra?

Thanks Harry I have just emailed them the pic. Now i can get paid

Glad to be of service!

Lignum,
That looks an awesome piece anyway. What size was the parquetry? Was there a deep recess? It is a fabulous effect for a desk; even w/o a domino joint in sight or expectation.

Thanks Dragon The strips were 90 x 45mm x 6mm epoxied to a 9mm mmm de eff substrate.

Most parquetry on tables seems to be 90 x 90 squares with 90 x 45 borders in a basket weave surrounding them.

I like to do different, so i used the configuration shown.
Because it had to be stained. the stain went into the end grain and gave a real over/under effect.

Oh, the cow didnt like the color bla bla blah, she refused to take ownership, im now broke....

Makes you wonder why you even bother with trying to make nice furniture for people in the first place. At least the bottle of red has helped