Replies

1. 
   BG | Apr 10, 2004 01:20pm | #1

   John,

   I just finished a chessboard made of walnut and maple where I had a similar issue as you.  If you scroll down in this section (Finishing) and click on  "Suggestions for Walnut" you'll read some great comments from Paul S.  I just used brush on lacquer on mine...we'll see how that ages...
2. 
   Dave45 | Apr 10, 2004 04:50pm | #2

   Maple is one of the woods that can look 'blotchy' when stained.  Apparently, the variations in hardness allow the softer areas to absorb more stain and that leaves the blotchs.

   I've found that this can be reduced by wiping the piece with paint thinner to tack off the dust, then letting it dry before I stain.  The paint thinner leaves a very light oil residue that slows the stain absorbtion.  Transparent stains are most suseptable to blotching.  Semi-opaque and opaque stains act more like paint and hide the problem.

3. 
   robkelly | Apr 10, 2004 10:49pm | #3

   Don't stain. On hard maple desk and countertops I sand to 180 and use three coats of clear Deft. It's self levelling, dries hard, and is water resistant to spills if they don't sit too long. Also it's easy to sand and patch scratches, since a new application dissolves into the existing finish.

4. 
   CharlieP | Apr 10, 2004 11:04pm | #4

   I don't do a lot with maple, but I have a trick that has worked well for me.

   My solution is to sand as fine as I want - typically 220 to 320, then go back over it lightly by hand with a coarser paper, such as 150.  The scratch marks are too fine to see, and the piece still feels pretty smooth, but it gives the stain a place to "catch" evenly over the whole surface.    When the stain is thoroughly dry, a light sanding with 320 will bring back the "perfect" surface, and will not materially remove the color. 

   Generally I use a piece of well-worn sandpaper, so that any oversize pieces of grit have been worn away, and so it isn't too aggressive.  (And I have lots of well-worn pieces because I am cheap.)

   ________________________
   Charlie Plesums  Austin, Texas
   http://www.plesums.com/wood

5. 
   SEBDESN | Apr 11, 2004 12:36am | #5

   vinyl sealer, then, very,very light thinned coats of suitably tinted lacquer until you get the color, then a couple coats of  lacquer rubbed out with 4/O steel wool, or a scotch brite. (all sprayed).Think the brand name of the tinting medium is Trans Tint. Think this is the place that has it...http://www.homesteadfinishing.com/

   Good luck,

1. 
   Sancho | Apr 11, 2004 07:48am | #6

   I just started using a amber tinted w/b poly from compliant. it gives it a warm o/b color but with the hardness of a w/b. I used it on a hard maple valance with a brown mahogany w/b stain came out nice. 

   Darkworksite4:

   El americano pasado hacia fuera ase la bandera

6. 
   woodman54 | Apr 12, 2004 03:02pm | #7

   In Norman Vandal`s book Queen Anne Furniture, he finishes the maple with a water based aniline dye. The brand he used was Lockwood-Early American Maple- Honey Tone. His work is visual perfection and the pictures are very impressive. For about 20 dollars on Half.com you can get the best furniture building book I have ever come across. If you put in a lot of time into the desk, I would copy how a master woodworker  finishes his work.

7. 
   jonsherryl | Apr 12, 2004 05:30pm | #8

   John, I think your best bet is to experiment with dyes, as opposed to pigmented oil stain on maple. Maple has relatively uniform porosity, but because of waviness in the grain, some of the fibers approach the surface at an angle and it takes stain unevenly.

   If you are still unsatisfied with the results of dye, your next best strategy is probably to seal the wood with a coat of clear varnish (or shellac) and then tint the final coat(s) with univeral pigment...in effect, make your own custom varnish stain. This leaves the color in the film coat where it can't cause blotchiness. It's not as professional a finish as you might like, since future scatches and dings that chip the finish are more noticeable...but it does achieve a uniform initial appearance. Once you have the color you want, several final coats of clear varnish will help protect the pigmented layers and minimize the scratch and ding problem.