matching vicash to blackwood

[geiby]

hi all im new to the forum and am after advice on how to stain vic ash to match tasmanian blackwood or a colour. having never used or seen the blackwood before i dont even know a stain it looks similar to. if anyone knows a stain that is the same colour or a combination of a few any input would be greatly appreciated. thanx

[BUNTA]

''my views are'' ( & could be shot for them ) blackwood varies a lot in colour even within a single length so you will have a hard time trying to replicate it.
there is a few places that sell blackwood at reasonable prices & australian furniture timbers in melbourne being one. & nothing beats the real thing.

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

The problem with matching Blackwood is it's chatoyance. When properly polished the fibres act as microreflectors, so as you (or the light source) moves around the piece it changes colour to a golden glow and back again, in a cat's-eye effect. That's what makes it desirable.

Stained Vic Ash will appear the same from any angle and no matter how you stain it you won't matyh this effect. However, because Blackwood "changes" colour there's usually a large apparent colour variation in the same piece of furniture between pieces with vertically oriented grain and pieces with horizontally oriented grain. Still, with skill, you should be able to match the base colour well enough to fool a casual observer.

As with most woods, there's enough basic variation that the only way to match the colour is to actually have the piece you're trying to match to, first!

[Big Shed]

Skew, now there is a word I haver never come across: chatoyance.

"By adding one or two coats of shellac to a piece of figured wood, you can achieve a stunning effect called "chatoyance," from the French meaning "like a cat's eye." If you've ever seen the semi-precious stone Tiger-Eye, you'll notice that as you change your viewing angle, the light and dark bands of color change places; this is chatoyance."


This is where I found it:

http://www.hobbywoods.com/start_to_finish.htm

As I have said before "Google is my friend"

Skew, thank you for enhancing my vocabulary, I have been involved in the surface coating industry for most of my life and never have I come across that word.

[rsser]

I'm sceptical about whether a shellac finish will give anything like chatoyance.

If it's there already it can enhance it though.

[Lignum]

Geiby you need to go to a timber yard and buy a 600 x 200 x 25 mm length of Blackwood and sand and polish it up and use that as a reference. If you get "Victorian Ash" it is to straight grained and pale to get the Blackwood effect.

Messmate or Tas Oak are great timbers to stain to look like Blackwood.

After you have all your timber for the project, take 2 samples of the Tas Oak and the Blackwood to a reputable paint store the pros use (Like Morgans in Moorabbin, they are one of the best} and they will match up a spirit based stain for the timber you are going to use perfect. Dont go to Bunnies or m10 as they have no idea

Below is some Tas Oak with a Blackwood stain. And it dose change color from different angles like Blackwood.

[geiby]

thanx for all your replies your input is has been of great use and a ll was taken on board. just so you all know the vicash is only for the legs so a close for a poker table so a colour that is close will be fine it the top that is a blackwood veneered ply. i cant wait to see what the ply comes up like. ive worked with some pretty nice timbers in the stair industry but never blackwood so ill have to post some pics if it turns out like i hope it does.
thanx