[VAC] Re: Interior wood

[D Welch <jtdjtd@xxxxxxxx>]

Adam-

I don't know what kind of wood you have, '73's have all laminate, but I
have done a lot of restoration work.

The original wood probably still has some stain left in it, and more
importantly, although you have removed the finish from the surface, it
still lingers in the fiber of the wood. This is why the new wood
probably gets too dark when you use the same stain on both.

For really good results, you have to treat the old and new differently
to get the same color. You may need to thin the stain on the new wood.
Try thinning it a lot and then add successive coats until it matches the
old wood. 

Minwax makes a product to pretreat wood with to even out the difference
in absorption between the hard and soft parts of the grain. A Sealer
maybe ? it is clear anyway. If you apply that to the new wood, you may
be able to get the same stain to match.

I think that you should take the time to get a good color match since
you spent the time to strip the old stuff.  Test in an out of the way
place, or better yet use a scrap of the new to try to match the old.

Remember that the finish coat you use may change the color too, so test
with that on it too.

Good luck and watch out for fumes,
Daisy