Replies

1. 
   CajunDan | Aug 06, 2004 08:49pm | #1

   The tiger stripes are caused by wood fibers changing direction in and out of the surface of the board. Staining or dyeing accentuates this because fibers oriented at a high angle to the surface absorb more pigment than fibers more parallel to the surface. This is what causes blotchiness in some woods like cherry and pine, but highlights figured wood like maple.

   Conditioners reduce this effect by partially or completely sealing the end grain fibers from absorbing excess stain. Thus, by using a conditioner, you are minimizing the figure of your wood. You might try using a thinner conditioner, or light sanding after conditioning to reopen some pores.

   I would not use a conditioner at all on maple.

   Also, dyes have a little more clarity than stains (which often include dyes), if you want to maximize the figure.

   Bob Flexner's book on finishing covers this in more detail.

   Good Luck,

   Dan

1. 
   GrGramps | Aug 06, 2004 10:55pm | #2

   Dan,

   Shame on me - I have Flexner's book (a Christmas present) and had not referred to it.  The inside of the tray is Ok although I did use conditioner on the entire surface.  The scratches from a poor sanding job were on portions of the sides (outside) and it is only those portions that no longer display stripes.  This is where I scraped the finish to remove scratches and restained.  Perhaps I didn't remove enough of the surface.

   At this point, the question is whether I leave well enough alone, of attempt to redo the outside of the tray.

   An idea might be to try and duplicate what I have done on a scrap and see if I can bring back the stripes by scraping deeper?

   I would like to hear from anyone who has had a similar experience.