How to match wood color?

[okawbow]

I am trying to make a representation of a late Bedford County style rifle. I really like the color of the original. I have a good piece of northern sugar maple. How would you try and get the same color as the original?

[Gaeckle]

I see a red tone in that, maybe start with a honey stain as a base, then layer on darker tones like a walnut. May need to scrape or burnish between coats. Could even hit it with some black spay paint worked back off to add a final tone, antiquing sort of like

[Stoner creek]

A whole lot of experimenting with stain cocktails. I would not rely on one brand and color. Use a piece of scrap from your cut-offs. Take notes on everything that you do.

[okawbow]

What do other use to get the reddish color? I can make violin varnish that has red in it, but the original looks more like an oil finish over stain. Would you try tannic acid- iron nitrate first?

[Scota4570]

I always make a base color from AF.    From there I may or may not use dye stains to adjust it. The piece of wood determines how I proceed

https://www.store.laurelmountainforge.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=68&products_id=202
 

I am less worried about exact colors than I used to be.  Each piece of wood is it's own thing and it is tough to force it to be some exact color.  I find the color that nature made it when stained with AF to be pretty nice a lot of the time.  Sometime that is a little flat though.  By using dye stains after the AF and rubbing it back, you can get a multi color almost 3d effect on some woods. 

[TommyG]

I totally agree with both recommendations above.  I would start with some Klein's orange toner, try some at full strength and some at 1:1 DA mix.  From there I would go with Ferric Nitrate, after heat blushing, give it a wash with lye water.  Let dry, rub it out and start playing with the stain cocktails like Wayne mentioned above.  Hopefully you have some scraps to work with and record all your recipes.

[smallpatch]

Looks pretty much Lancaster red to me.
What ever you do, test on scraps of your wood, till you get what you want.

[Hungry Horse]

 After years of screwing up fine pieces of hardwood during the finishing process, I’ve found that if you don’t do anything that is irreversible it can be saved. The myth of the one shot stain, or finish, is largely just that, a myth. A fine color, and finish, is developed, not just brushed on. Often, the process involves adding a color, then taking much of it away with steel wool, or Scotchbrite. Hard maple is a lot more forgiving than many softer woods which can become radically over stained which is largely irreversible.

Hungry Horse

[okawbow]

Ferric nitrate, blushed, then rubbed on Alizarin crimson dark pigment in linseed oil. I think is will be close to the color of the original after the finish is applied.

[bluenoser]

Not to criticize okawbow's nice looking stock, but I would be cautious about using pigments.  They can collect on the surface and give the finish a muddy appearance.  They can also enhance the appearance, such as when used to fill the pores or build up an aged finish.  As others have said, experimentation and detailed note-taking are the key.

[Clowdis]

I always had good luck using stain powders mixed with alcohol. You can mix a couple batches of red and brown stains and add color to a master batch until you get the color match you're looking for. The powders don't dry out either. Something like https://homesteadfinishingproducts.com/transfast-store/ might work well although I have used the powder noted. I think the stuff I have came from Woodworkers Supply years ago.

[okawbow]

I assembled the rifle to check for function and sight it in. It only has a couple coats of BLO so far, but the color looks good to me. I know it’s hard to match the look of wood that is over 150 years old. I intend to learn basic engraving this winter and will try and match the original. (Picture won’t load) will try later

[bpd303]

Looks like you have a good match of the color. One thing I usually do is to wet down the bare stock with a fairly wet rag to see what the wood looks like without any stain. Then go from there.
 I did that with an old original German Jaeger I restored. Had to match the stock and forearm and patch box cover which I had to make.
 A WWII GI brought the rifle home from the war and cut the forearm off so the rifle would fit in his duffel bag and it along with the patch box cover were lost by the time his son got around to selling it after he passed away.