Hello. I have been trying to match the stain on an old German regulator case. Nothing I get seem to match. Does anyone have an idea what they used. I thought it walnut, but it is not [red?] enough. Mahogany seems too red. Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks Jim

Finished stain color depends a great deal on the base wood. For example, I made a base and set of legs for my Great-great-great-grandfather's schoolmaster's desk from oak. The desk is pine, and stained (or painted) with red refractory paint. I got an excellent match, using minwax "cherry" on the oak parts.

Your best bet is to start with a clear carrier, and mix your own color match, using artist's pigments. A pretty god match for old brownish red on pine is achieved with artist's burnt sienna in a boiled linseed oil carrier, followed by Johnson's Paste wax. Here is a clock with a replacement "whale tail" on the right side, that my grandfather made and attached, and my grandmother color matched, in 1960.

Forgot to mention: The case was made by David White, Longmeadow, MA, in 1810. My great-great-great-great grandfather (David Booth, Schoolmaster, of Enfield, CT and Longmeadow, MA) wrote on the back of it, "White made the case for $7.00. 1810. D. Booth"

Thanks for the tips. Great looking clock. Jim