Shellac/dye to create aged antique Birds Eye maple look
chancito
| Posted in General Discussion on
In planning a dresser, I like the look of this birdseye maple with mahogany. This piece, in link, is from 1810 and the maple has a very attractive, to my eye, golden hue, I guess due to the aging process. Nonetheless, I’d like to get something close. So my question; does anyone have a recommendation for a shellac or dye I could try? I realize full well that I’ll have to try this on a sample piece first but I’d prefer not to buy a lot of coloring agents as I’ve already seemed to have accumulated more finishing products than I have shelf space for, so any nudge in the right direction would be appreciated. You dudes are awesome!
Replies
This is your lucky day, I am making a 1920 look alike bathroom with the wood trim being birds eye maple with the golden color, and it is pretty much an easy finish, got in on the first try. Simply two coats of dewaxed lemon shellack followed by clear water based poly, gloss of your choice, the more shellacking the yellower. I got the flakes from an art store specializing in pigments, if you can’t find it they ship (from Canada) . The make-up desk is under construction so only the table has been finished.
Thanks Gulfstar, your trim/table looks amazing but now my wife wants a bathroom just like yours. I found the lemon shellac online. It should be dewaxed? What level sheen is your varnish?
I like a water soluble analine dye on figured maple before finishing. I think the Lockwood honeytone amber give me the look closest to your picture, but you'd have to experiment. I use the dye, then shellac.
Thanks, for the recommendation. Do you use lemon shellac after the dye and how many coats?
Because of the dye, I don't find the need to also use tinted shellac. It's gorgeous a bit of amber in it though. Just experiment before you do the final finish.