How can I make new very white pine match the rich, almost amber-orange color of our old pine walls?
Greg Williams: A darker-colored shellac, such as AC Garnet, will do a great job on most pine. More coats will increase the color. Mixing the garnet with a lighter shellac, orange or blonde, will give you less color. Do test boards first.
Tim Inman: Both the wood and finish tend to color with aging. I’d try a very diluted wash of an aniline dye to match the aged effect of the wood itself, then I’d go for a little orange shellac to match the finish color.
Michael Dresdner: Another option is to custom tint your topcoat by mixing in small amounts of a compatible dye. For instance, you can mix alcohol-soluble or NGR dyes into shellac or lacquer, and oil-soluble dyes into oil varnish. You can also buy aerosol cans of tinted topcoat, and you might just find one that matches.
