5 Pro Tips to Matching Wood Stain

The craftsman blog Full Details HERE!

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01

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02

[{"selector":"#anim-0fdc2bbc-5261-4b9e-bed9-be7c0b7d5fdc","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-491d28d5-7bfb-4602-9730-f6fd81656ef6","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(100.00000%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":200,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-bb9f840d-1849-4e61-9121-5abd01ea7a0e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f28095cd-02b6-4a2e-9ec8-2290843bc4ce","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":250,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f32ae519-fa84-45c5-b0c4-5b4f12e8b6f7","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(144.44448%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":250,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Full Details HERE

03

[{"selector":"#anim-d26825fc-d62f-48aa-b796-4c02a73f2ec1","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-271a52e3-dc01-4cbc-889e-a0b1853410d9","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-02d40556-da06-4dc7-a84e-25a414578663","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(100.00000%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":200,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-18f8a7ae-411e-4b00-a242-cd14812f53f1","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":250,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-593e3743-c4b4-48a8-ab73-5982236a674d","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(450.61736%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":250,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Full Details HERE

04

[{"selector":"#anim-e2feb7cb-9dc8-4f3a-8f21-babf045e42a2","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-17acd452-9452-4b76-973b-cf1184a0e020","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a9b23f10-ebd6-41f3-b85f-4e6c82d20107","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(100.00000%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":200,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c3f6685f-2e82-4fbc-b887-e8c4f7423af7","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":250,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-fbf662f1-4fe1-4bf9-bc5f-87aecfaefa8e","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(146.15382%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":250,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] This is how.

05

[{"selector":"#anim-c22db0c1-2c90-4469-a602-88244a53b709","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-cfdd3a81-34e2-4950-892b-39e29d2166ff","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-de80f8b0-ef5a-4ed6-8f1f-be424a0bfba3","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(100.00000%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":200,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4694fe3a-b330-4a08-8824-83962cbc65aa","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":250,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4a658952-bd3d-400e-8efb-76187b24d5c5","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(450.61736%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":250,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Here's how

Want bonus Tips?

[{"selector":"#anim-23f420b7-fc2d-4e55-bf79-ac656dece626","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a204a839-0c0f-4e4b-980b-099a0c006f74","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-100%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":200,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-598ef695-1f11-4248-93d3-67fd24fb9f5c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f397915d-fed5-41c5-886a-4260a03dd1ca","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(100.00000%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":200,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8c044844-52c5-4b4a-871a-29e2ac7c4e80","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-48e55f6b-1ed0-452c-9839-2d65f89dcbc3","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(99.15254%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Get my free downloadable ebook for a simple primer on the tips I have found most useful from decades of this kind of work. Get it HERE!

More DIY tips:

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[{"selector":"#anim-3c94c42c-9a85-4909-b9a0-17a1177a533c","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-105.51725%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c936e725-f7cb-47a6-a3c6-ded3d87058f9","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1000,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-59bc7738-70d1-4d90-9b12-35c02996fcdc","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-180.0995%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":1000,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ce55f54a-df98-48a2-8942-206ee434da9d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1200,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5a23ad30-f96d-491f-91ea-1e9f51161524","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-105.51725%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 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0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a59255e3-2ece-4d45-8a02-237c01478970","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a8eee295-a2f9-4319-b9fb-271d6ca9a8b4","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-105.51725%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":200,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-cb9f95ef-3676-4718-8ffb-eee6fa983c1b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":800,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3c42f352-da50-4bd6-97e9-16f5abc0c7ea","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-105.51725%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":800,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4789eb56-e03b-4e71-8115-b4cb2e6130e9","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c034ec81-fea8-4d8c-a374-17125bb82214","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-105.51725%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":1400,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e5b32b00-8234-4df5-89fe-36d96ecc64fb","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8a78c2a6-f20b-4ad6-bae0-51fd9075c75a","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-106.20691%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7eb95169-f327-4a4a-a0e5-68827f89bad0","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9bcbf2b3-1a51-4a91-a43f-6c34c5fd3cb0","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-106.20691%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":200,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-cdf23ef2-a727-4187-8cfa-0eb1a3fbe41e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0ead451f-9321-4282-b166-f2ec2022a75f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-aad1f43b-c6db-437f-ba0c-c349f1bf59dc","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-180.59701%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

5 Pro Tips to Matching Wood Stain

01

Too coarse: darker appearance since there are larger pores. Too fine: wood that may not even take in the pigments.

Sand to the Right Grit

02

Oil-based finishes add an amber color whereas water-based finishes are crystal clear. Which do you want?

know your finish

03

You have to match both the grain and the sap of the wood to make your color match work.

pick the right stain

04

Grab some similar wood samples and test your stain formula on them.

color match samples

05

You can actually add up to 10% stain to your clear finish to tweak the final results.

tint the top coat

Want bonus Tips?

More DIY tips:

How to: fix dents in wood

5 worst wood stain mistakes

how to pick the right exterior stain

How to: Stain outdoor furniture