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Todd Winter writes:

I will start a thread on how I apply/ match color.

Included below is my reply to an earlier post which was copied
and pasted so some of this will not be relevant to this specific
thread but is the basis for how I do it.

When you look at the photos, you can hopefully see better what I
am trying to describe as far as color matching.

Place thin writing pad type cardboard under end and slide
hutch till repair area hangs over end.
Fill with stick type bondo, color of choice.
File close with 4 way rasp type file.
Sand with 180 grit till smooth. Sanding block if you want.
Polish it up with 600 grit wet or dry (use dry) so it will not
keep soaking up the finish. A few rubs.
I use the biggest fine tip Mohawk brush, #127-6, allows
me to put on a fine line or heavy stroke.

Let me explain a little here:

When you first get a new can, you do not have the advantage of
multiple color mixes or a good built up supply or left over pigment.
After you use the can awhile, you will. The good strong colors
come from the mixture with your powders. At some points, you
will not even need to get out the powders as the color you need is
already on the can.

Just spray some toner on the brush, (I hold a rag behind the brush
with my right, touchup hand and just transfer it to my left hand with
the can while I apply the color) rub it around in the colors you
need, pull the brush off the can so it leaves a fine or thick tip,
whatever you need.

When mixing powders with toner, you MUST mix it around on
the can some to break down the pigments or it will look dry and
flat, a little practice and you can tell exactly. If you do it a few
times and the mixture in the can looks dry and pilly, you need to
stir it a little more or add a little more toner.

You can take a good dark color (that would match grain for
instance) and add dark or red,orange or whatever colors you like
to match whatever you want. If you are matching Oak, you might
want to use a Medium Brown/American Walnut toner.

Back to touchup schedule.

Touch up uniformly to darken repair, this will look like grain when finished.
Mist satin .
Take some shade of Mahogany, spray on brush and grab a
LITTLE red and maybe some orange pigment, you will have to be the judge.
Lightly paint it in like grain but reversed. (To lighten instead of darken.)
Seal with flat or satin, light mist a few seconds apart.
Steel wool or scotchbright with polish, I use mixed up guardsman concentrate.
I almost never have to spray these so heavy that I can not lightly
steel wool it in less than a minute.

If it looks like it is going to light, brush on a thinned bit of
darker toner in those areas.

Also, get you a can of Mohawk Reddish Brown background
color. A little spritz of that after a mahogany repair and it will
almost blend perfectly, in fact, you probably cant see it.

I have 24 large doors to repair where they were mortised for
hinges and the doors were supposed to get top and bottom pivot
hinges. Mortises had to be repaired. There are 2 doors on each
floor. I knew I had to repair these doors so the earlier thread caused
me to bring my camera so they could be photographed as repaired.

These photos are of 3 mortises I was repairing. They were in bad
light so I was taking photos of each hoping they would show up OK.

I spent 2 hours total on the 4 mortises including masking, color
work, graining and photos, unmasking . The mortises also went
through the face so after the large area was done, I had to unmask
the front to do that area.

Keep in mind that the flash really changes color a lot. I could
make it look good for the photo but then it would not look good in person:)

Note: I had been using the Bondo brand All Purpose Putty and
ran out (in the paint section). The store was also out so I bought
the automotive style. The auto style sanded poorly, left a grittier
look and you could tell where the filler stopped and started. Also
many air void holes. The all purpose putty was way better.

This will be quick, if you have questions, let me know. I need to go to work.

Fill with bondo and sand with palm sander and 150. Block sand
lightly dry 400. Spay heavy with Mohawk Rouge.Let dry. Fan it
if you have to speed drying. (If something is stained Mahogany, I
might spray background with Flat Black) It has a lot of pigment
and I want a consistent, uniform color to work over. Very light
coat of clear flat to lock in color. I want it to be dry in less than 30 seconds.

The photos show the products I used.

I used Mohawk Medium Brown/ American Walnut to spray on
the brush and mixed up Burnt Siena and I think Light Oak
powders. A couple places that dark greenish powder.

Mix thoroughly ( it does not take long, a couple seconds, with a
little practice, you can tell) on can and apply wide brush strokes
over the base color. The dark base color shows through the brush
marks simulating grain.

(You can lightly seal with clear occasionally to lock in and give
depth. When using the powders, you will need to adjust the
powders you are using to what you need. If you need red, add
some to the brush tip and mix up. If too much red, add some
yellower color or a powder with a greener tint. they can be
changed instantly. Also, if you look at the can in the photos, you will
notice the areas where color mixed are shiny. If you do it and it looks
dull, it is not mixed well enough. Spray some toner and mix it around. )

Pick natural areas to make breaks in your color work and grain.
Mix a color and follow the lighter ungrained areas or darken it if needed.

I use Masters magic Green Umber Toner with a small amount of
red (for darker areas and to help hide the areas where I started
with the lighter color). Mixed pretty dry. I do not want it to go on
wet. I just want the high brush hairs to apply color to look like
grain. I also do not want the tip to be fine at this point, speed it out flat.

On this repair , I grained with Mohawk Graining pens, Dark
Brown and Black. Just drew a lot of grain everywhere.

Couple coats Clear Flat and and polish with Guardsman
Concentrate mixed with water (1 part water to 10 ratio).

Look at the photos, maybe they will help. If you come through Dallas, I will show you.

I photod 3 of the mortises I worked on and they were all mixed
up so I put them in order as best I could, hopefully not too confusing.

You are welcome to ask questions. I am sure you will have some if you try it.

Apologies for the long thread to finishers, however, I use the same
method after the sealer coat when I repair something that is to be
refinished. I have not put my finger in powder many times over the
last few years though rarely, I need to.

Good Day,

Todd W.
Dallas, TX

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