Replies

1. 
   jackplane | Jun 03, 2004 02:47pm | #1

   Curly maple is tiger maple. To enhance this striking grain, I mix UPC tints with linseed oil and paint thinner. To see what it'd look like clear-coated only, wipe it with thinner.

   PS  You make nice guitars.

   
   

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   Edited 6/3/2004 8:16 am ET by JACKPLANE

1. 
   dennismartin | Jun 03, 2004 05:42pm | #3

   Thanks Jackplane. What is UPS tints?

   Dennis

1. 
   jackplane | Jun 03, 2004 06:18pm | #4

   UPC tints, also called UTC tints, are universal tinting colors.Paint pigments in a tube, available at any paint store. When mixed with thinner and linseed oil as a binder,you can make any color stain you want.

2. 
   joinerswork | Jun 03, 2004 03:29pm | #2

   DF,

   I've heard some lumber dealers use the two terms to make the distinction between the same figure in hard and soft maples.  Curly= hard; tiger=soft

   I like the effect of water based aniline dyes to enhance the figure, without obscuring the wood.  Orange shellac is nice too.

   Regards,

   Ray

3. 
   Paul_Snyder | Jun 04, 2004 12:57am | #5

   There's a few different names that are used for curly maple including - fiddleback maple, flame maple, tiger maple, and tigerstripe maple.

   Dyes do a nice job of "popping" the figure in maple. Oils (tung oil, linseed oil, Minwax "Natural" stain, etc.) and oil-base finishes have a similar effect, but oils and oil-base finishes are all some shade of yellow and dyes have an infinite range of color. For the best clarity and optical enhancement, lacquer or shellac are top choices. I like to use lacquer myself (including the Ultima Spray Lacquer from Target Coatings [.com]). Lacquer does a nice job of enhancing the figure of the wood; but to get the maximum impact from the figure, some color is needed to produce contrast. For contrast, you can dye the maple any color you like, or you can add a little dye to the lacquer or shellac. In this sample, I used linseed oil on the left, lacquer in the middle, and golden/amber dye on the right.

   View Image
   Linseed, Lacquer, and Amber Dye

   Here's a closer shot of the middle and right sections. The curl has very nice depth (chatoyance, directionality, shimmer, etc.) with just the clear coats, but the dye gives it a more dramatic look.

   View Image
   Shellac/Lacquer vs. Amber Dye

   If you add a little dye to the finish and apply it to sealed wood, it also develops contrast/depth, but is a little more subtle. First, a coat of clear finish is applied to the wood and sanded smooth. Then a coat (or more) of finish with some dye added is applied over the clear coat. The technique is called "toner" and produces a very nice effect, like this sample that was done using garnet shellac;

   View Image
   Colored Finish

   If you dye the wood first and then use a toner over the dye, the combination improves the depth of the finish dramatically.

   On Jeff Jewitt's forum at HomesteadFinishing.com, one of the particpants posted a picture of a quilted maple guitar he made (see below). He also posted the steps he used for the finish at this link (you have to sign in to see the picture with the post) - Guitar Post.

   View Image
   Dyed Quilted Maple Guitar

   Try some samples using a color of dye you like. Try different ratios of dye and thinner to see which shade you like best. If you're up to it, give the colored finish over the dye a try; it adds a lot to the finish.

   Paul

1. 
   dennismartin | Jun 04, 2004 04:43am | #6

   Thank you Paul. You have ansered my and more with your samples.

   I have about 100 board feet of this stock. Can I ask what would be a good project for this type of maple?

   Dennis

2. 
   Ardito | Jun 04, 2004 07:54pm | #7

   Holy Smokers!  That guitar body is BEAUTIFUL!!!

   darkmagneto

4. 
   nikkiwood | Jun 05, 2004 04:00am | #8

   Another option I like a lot for "popping" the grain is a NGR stain (stands for Non-Grain Raising). This is always a proprietary mixture of dyes and solvents, which as the name implies, is best used where grain raising might be a problem.

   It is widely used in the manufactured furniture industry, because it dries fast.

   It is usually sprayed for that reason; but if your project is small (like the guitar illustrated earlier), you can apply it by hand if you move fast.

   You often have to mail order this stuff, but I know Woodcraft carries it -- Behlen's Solar Lux is one brand, but there are others.

   
   

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   Edited 6/4/2004 9:02 pm ET by nikkiwood