suiciedchild Posted March 5, 2012 Report Share Posted March 5, 2012 In the process of building a Greene and Greene inspired coffee table out of genuine mahogany, And wanted to know if any has a particular formula for the stain typically found on original pieces or close to it. I have never dyed / stained anything of this size and I am not expirenced enough to be able to mix and match on my own, Darrell Peart's book has a general formula , but I'm also looking for a brand that someone has had good results with, any help would be appreciated. Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trip Posted March 5, 2012 Report Share Posted March 5, 2012 There is a very good book on G&G. It has a section on the 'genuine' formula and [i seem to remember] a simpler substitute. The link for the book is: http://www.amazon.com/Greene-Design-Elements-Workshop/dp/0941936961/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1330973108&sr=1-2 would suggest you pick-it-up. I has loads of good info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwacker Posted March 5, 2012 Report Share Posted March 5, 2012 Ive never done the research or seen the furniture first hand but to me the Mahogany photos dont look like they added color. Do you have a link to a photo that you would like to color match? Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torch02 Posted March 5, 2012 Report Share Posted March 5, 2012 There is a very good book on G&G. It has a section on the 'genuine' formula and [i seem to remember] a simpler substitute. The link for the book is: http://www.amazon.com/Greene-Design-Elements-Workshop/dp/0941936961/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1330973108&sr=1-2 would suggest you pick-it-up. I has loads of good info. Heads up - the stain that Darrell mentions in that book is no longer sold anywhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwacker Posted March 5, 2012 Report Share Posted March 5, 2012 Not sure why its such a secret. A quick google search shows his blog with the formula and everything is still available. #43 English brown is still available direct from lockwood. http://darrellpeart.blogspot.com/2009/02/greene-and-greene-wood-finishing.html Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suiciedchild Posted March 6, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2012 Yes I own the paperback of the book already , but like someone said, it's not availible anymore , I didn't even think to just google it , and yeah they are stained, I think if you let the mahogany naturally change, it would get at least close to it , but freshly milled tends ( at least in what I have) to be significantly lighter in color then the typical pictures you see online n in Darrel's book, even Marc's table from the William Ng school , one of the pics is them spray stain/dyeing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwacker Posted March 6, 2012 Report Share Posted March 6, 2012 Yes I own the paperback of the book already , but like someone said, it's not availible anymore , I didn't even think to just google it , and yeah they are stained, I think if you let the mahogany naturally change, it would get at least close to it , but freshly milled tends ( at least in what I have) to be significantly lighter in color then the typical pictures you see online n in Darrel's book, even Marc's table from the William Ng school , one of the pics is them spray stain/dyeing it. Its definately still available if its #43 as stated in the blog. I just bought 5 pounds of it. The alternative method is GF dye stain mix and they also are still available. You can also easily darken it with just BLO, doesnt get as dark but closer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwacker Posted March 6, 2012 Report Share Posted March 6, 2012 A before image. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry_in_SD Posted March 7, 2012 Report Share Posted March 7, 2012 If I recall correctly, Darrell recommends 7 pts General Finishes Orange and 4 parts Medium Brown Dye Stain. I did that formula for a couple G&G pieces. They are a little dark for my taste so next time I might experiment a little on dye mixes. I think original G&G used Potassium Dichromate which I understand is pretty nasty stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suiciedchild Posted March 7, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 7, 2012 Yes i did find the #43 on the w.d. Lockwood website and will be going with that I think. I had applied some BLO to a couple cut off pieces and it really didn't affect it at all colorwise , ok now there is another total newbie question, how far does an 1 oz. go? I know diluted into a quart of water seems like alot, and i will probably buy a couple onces to be safe, I dont want to get halfway through a piece and run out and have to wait for more to be delivered, So i guess for your project Dwacker, how many oz. 's di you use ? Like i said this is my first go at this dyeing business, It doesn't seem that exspensive per oz. but at the same time i dont want to buy so much it will take me a year or two to use the rest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwacker Posted March 7, 2012 Report Share Posted March 7, 2012 The table posted above is only blo and arm r seal. The dye will go long ways. If i was going to spray it on a table the size of the one above id mix 1.5 pints assuming your using water. If you measure in grains it doesnt matter if you under mix. Grain measurement is easily repeatable. Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suiciedchild Posted March 7, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 7, 2012 Maybe I'll give the blo another shot on a different piece, and lay some finish on it and see how it fares, thanks guy for the help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suiciedchild Posted March 9, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 9, 2012 Night and day difference, not sure what I did the first time. But now it's good , thanks guys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brendon_t Posted April 25, 2015 Report Share Posted April 25, 2015 If I recall correctly, Darrell recommends 7 pts General Finishes Orange and 4 parts Medium Brown Dye Stain. I did that formula for a couple G&G pieces. They are a little dark for my taste so next time I might experiment a little on dye mixes. I think original G&G used Potassium Dichromate which I understand is pretty nasty stuff. Jerry, I'm bringing this one alive since I know your still around. Do you happen to have a picture of the project you used the 7to4 mix on? I'm about to start messing around with ratios on the orange/brown for a g&g inspired project. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bgreenb Posted April 25, 2015 Report Share Posted April 25, 2015 Brendon - Marc used the same formula on his Aurora table. Pics here:http://www.thewoodwhisperer.com/articles/finished-aurora-table/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brendon_t Posted April 25, 2015 Report Share Posted April 25, 2015 Nice thanks. I didn't know Marc built The Aurora nightstand. I love that thing. I'm going to start playing around tonight. I would like to add a few drops of red dye also to give it a smudge of red. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bgreenb Posted April 25, 2015 Report Share Posted April 25, 2015 Nice thanks. I didn't know Marc built The Aurora nightstand. I love that thing. I'm going to start playing around tonight. I would like to add a few drops of red dye also to give it a smudge of red. Yeah I'd love to build the Aurora one day. As I read it more closely, Marc added one part yellow, but he said it didn't change it very much. Actually if you're a guild member I believe he did a live session experimenting with Greene and greene stains during the G&G blanket chest project. Edit: here it is. https://thewoodwhispererguild.com/guild-meetings/blanket-chest-design-changes-gg-dye-recipes/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brendon_t Posted April 25, 2015 Report Share Posted April 25, 2015 I made a few mini tester mixtures last night. A few being 8 different samples The best stand out by far for me was a 50-50 medium brown to orange plus 2 drops of red trans tint. After I throw a few coasts of ARS on it, I'll make a final call but that wins without a top coat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mick Posted April 30, 2015 Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 I guess I'm too old to change. GM will darken & look superior IMHO to any stain job I can imagine. When it darkens on it's own it has the rich , deep, lovely mahogany look most folks love. stain just flattens the look to me..muddies it up. IMHO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brendon_t Posted April 30, 2015 Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 Hey mick, I've actually come to the same conclusion. I stained the box and. . Absolutely hated it. I'm in the process of sanding it all back down and I'm just going to build a clean Arm r Seal top coast and let the gm do its thing over time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry_in_SD Posted May 1, 2015 Report Share Posted May 1, 2015 Jerry, I'm bringing this one alive since I know your still around. Do you happen to have a picture of the project you used the 7to4 mix on? I'm about to start messing around with ratios on the orange/brown for a g&g inspired project. Check out the pictures in this project showcase for a small dining table. Used that recipie on African Mahogany. I did note you are talking Genuine Mahogany. Darrell Peart who recommended this mix builds Greene & Greene from African Mahogany as do I. So we are a little disconnected on this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brendon_t Posted May 1, 2015 Report Share Posted May 1, 2015 Thanks for the response jerry. I tried a few different mixes on a decent sized test piece and decided I liked a 50-50 orange to medium brown best. I stained the peeve and hated it on the actual box so it has been hand sanded back and I'm back at the thinking phase. I'm very tempted to just Arm R Seal it a few times and let the wood naturally do its thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missioninwood Posted May 1, 2015 Report Share Posted May 1, 2015 I use the Mission Cherry Gel Stain now owned by General Finishes, I believe. http://www.rockler.com/general-finishes-mission-stain-cherry miw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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