Does anyone work with Minwax Stain?

9 years ago

Hi everyone,

I'm having someone make me some floating shelves for my living room as I have looked everywhere and cannot find shelves in the same color as my living room furniture. He is going to be using Minwax and suggested that I take a look at the color chart on their website to decide what color I wanted. I figured Red Mahoganey was the closest and suggested that, but he said it turns out much lighter than the color of my living room furniture. For those of you that work with Minwax, what color would you use to acheive results that are close to the color of this dresser? Thanks in advance!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (8)

klem1
9 years ago
I'm suprised to hear a pro choose Minwax,it is an ok product line for diy but pros are able to use other products to better advantage.
I've never heard of Red Mahoganey in Minwax products but it doesn't matter. Unless one is a pro finisher they must buy all colors that are close and experiment on actual wood used in the project,including clear coat in order to match colors. I think you should have him present you with pieces of wood he has done the best he can in matching color. I didn't tell you what color to choose but imo I gave you somthing far better.
hippy
9 years ago
I have found it best to take a sample pieces of the wood I will be using to make something and stain it different colors to find the one I want.

The same color wood stain can have many different shades on different types of woods.
Related Discussions
Pics of Minwax Dark Walnut Stain
Q
Comments (1)
I don't have it on furniture but its on the newel post in my house. Im not sure the type of wood the post is made of but I also have the dark walnut on the stair treads that are a different type of wood and its a good match. I think the stain is dark enough that it didn't make a difference. Hope that helps!
...See More
Anyone use Minwax 'Driftwood' stain-photos please!
Q
Comments (7)
Hmm. Oddly enough I have used Minwax water based driftwood in my kitchen on a way on pine and Rustoleum oil based driftwood on a ceiling upstairs on oak. But not what your looking for. Sorry I can't help.
...See More
Anyone have pictures of med dark Minwax stained floors?
Q
Comments (13)
This post is too scary! I am getting my floors refinished soon, along with new kitchen and study cabinets. I am also trying to decide between Special Walnut and Dark Walnut. The floor color depends on new kitchen cabinet colors, and vice versa... Positano - Could you post a picture of your Special Walnut? Josie - I LOVE your kitchen, it is exactly what I am trying to accomplish, from the white cabs and kahki granite, down to the subway tile backsplash and drawer pulls! We must be linked in some way. Dark Walnut was my first instinct until I thought of getting an island in a very dark, almost black, finish then Special Walnut would balance it out a bit. If you have more kitchen pics, I'd love to see them! What is your granite color? I'm afraid of going to pink or gold. I'm lazy and going to Home Depot for everything. ; ) Thanks- Stacey
...See More
Anyone use Minwax HW floor stain in 'Driftwood' photos please!
Q
Comments (1)
In Cabot's custom stains it is called "coastal gray" either version is what I'm looking to put down.
...See More
sombreuil_mongrel
9 years ago
On my screen that looks like stained pine? I'd use "brown mahogany" dye stain, and a garnet shellac possibly with a few drops (maybe 20 per qt shellac) of "medium reddish-brown" dye to tone it redder as needed. Might even need a few drops of "dark red mahogany" to get it right.
Casey
bobismyuncle
9 years ago
Agree with all the above.

The only way to color match is to run a step board sample(s) on the same wood as will be used in your project, including finishes and stains. Even then, professional finishers may need to tweak the final color during the finishing process using toners and/or glazes to get an exact match.

Minwax tends to be a novice/DIY oriented product. Their Red Mahogany is unique in their line in that it has the highest concentration of pigment.

You might also look at General Finishes Java gel stain. It looks like it would be closer to your target than Red Mahogany.
sombreuil_mongrel
9 years ago
Even though Red Mahog. Minwax is pigment-heavy, the color you get on the wood is rarely what is in the can. My theory is that the red oxide earth pigment is not ground fine enough. You will get a better result with coarser sanding, like no finer than 120; which on a lot of hardwoods looks like crap. You can fairly easily see the 120 grit scratches with the naked eye on a table top/up close.
Casey
lazy_gardens
9 years ago
You should be able to take him a drawer from the dresser and say "get real close to this" ... he's the pro and should know how to do it.

He shouldn't expect you to do his job.
rwiegand
9 years ago
Looking at a color chart is virtually certain *not* to give you the color you expect. Testing, including all sanding and finishing steps is the only way to come close, and even then the success rate isn't great. No matter the product employed it's not easy. I've found Minwax oil stains to be harder than most to use, preferring instead to use water or alcohol soluble dyes in several coats to "sneak up" on the desired color. It's not unusual for an amateur like me to make 20-30 test strips if I'm going for an exact match, overlapping redder or browner dyes to get the right blend. You definitely should ask your finisher to match an existing piece that's the color you want, not try to guess yourself.
shipshape
9 years ago
That looks very close to my kitchen cab colors, which I've been trying to match. I used the minwax red mahogany stain on clear pine, then used minwax tinted polyurathane in english walnut (it is yellower and toned down the redness of the underlying stain), and it is real close to what I wanted. I do agree you have to stain some boards first to know what the result will be....wood color affects the final look a lot.