What Acrylic Paint for Faux Wood Finish on Office Furniture?

[OT Dean]

Guys, I'm caught in the usual internet revolving door trying to find out what colors of acrylic paint to use on the office furniture in my enginehouse project.  As you probably know, you have to get the wording just right or your search takes you into bizzare territory!  I figure the Enginehouse Foreman's roll-top desk and swivel chair would probably be yellow oak, while the wall clock would probably be--what, maple?  There's also a filing case, which would probably be light-colored oak.  I've never had any luck matching paint colors, but I fingured there'd be a site for finishing dollhouse furniture.  As I said, I keep going around in circles trying to find out what paints to use to simulate wood furniture finishes for pewter and plastic furniture.  I've got the furniture (and shop machinery!), but I don't want to paint everything Roof Brown--and I know they wouldn't have mahogany (Boxcar Red, glazed) in a grimy locomotive shop.

Anybody have any experience along these lines--or knows somebody to ask?  I'd appreciate the help.  Thanks.

Deano

[Lee 1234]

Paint the whole thing the lightest color of the wood.  Dry brush the grain in with a medium tone and the darkest color of the grain.  Use a piece of wood of the same type as a pattern for the grain.  Use a gloss clear finish.  

[bogp40]

Usually, we are attempting to make styrene look like aged wood for structures, flatcar wood decks, etc. This project, though, you want old, aged varnish on the pewter and styrene. I do quite a bit of the gel staining and antiquing on 1:1 home restorations. maybe someone will have a better method than I will explain.

Start with a tan base for the lighter oak pieces, off the top of my head, I don't know a single color that will be the graining coat to color the furniture (normally use various oil or gel stains and mix and tint to get what I want)  I feel you will have to do the same, start with a base burnt umber, your roof brown may do, touch of red and test on a practice piece, painted in the tan. Varying brush technique and thinning to get what pleases ypu for the effect. You may want an intermediate coat of the color quite thinned and/ try dry brushing. Tinting varnish or polyurethane may give better results. You could give that a try, especially if you have some Minwax stains kicking about.