I need all the help I can get. http://www.rockler.com/product.....;sid=AFN86. Hey Denny. Didn’t realize maple was a problem until we started staining. I am staining my oak stairs to match my “gunstock” coloured flooring. So i have had zero luck getting anything to look remotely close to the dark stairs , columns and trim . When buying maple from your lumber supplier, you may hear plenty of names for the wood: tiger maple, curly maple, birds-eye maple, fiddle back maple, red maple, soft maple, hard maple—the list goes on. The Pacific Coast Maple has quite a bit of red that seems to come through and looks really bad with gray. When sanding down through one of my test boards, you could see the dye in the grain move through the wood the deeper you sand. Just about any clear finish will do that for you. They want dark reddish brown. The colors shown are for reference purposes only. So many times I will start off with a dye and see where it takes me. I’ve tried rustoleum premium wood care “Kona”. Honestly Julie, I hate doing the monday morning quarterback thing on other woodworkers and finishers. Zinnser shellac, for instance, is at a 3lb cut. I agree with the sage advice that you gave Darin. Hi Ginger. This will allow you to perfect the color with one light coat at a time, while also building up the base for your topcoat. Her writing has appeared on BobVila.com, World Lifestyle, and House Logic. Red-Colored Wood The guy who usually get to stain my furniture said that is what he uses on maple because it penetrates better, (and wear gloves as he has the finger stains to verify good penetration!). Thanks in advance, K, Whenever changing the color of a piece, I prefer to go down to bare wood. With their golden color, light maple cabinets can instantly warm and brighten any kitchen. And use a gel stain to get the deepest, richest color. My suggestion would be to hold the contractor responsible until the stairs are up to your standard. Since you already have these materials on hand, this is what I would use. If I decide to switch to gel stain and use the bullseye method in your video, is it possible to spray a base coat 90% lacquer thinner, 10% lacquer, plus the color additive using a cherry color, can I adjust the color with the gel stain and get somewhat even results from the plywood to the soft maple? Gel stain, gel stain, gel stain. Randall, shugdrumcompany.com. I just saw some of your videos on youtube and I really enjoyed it. I am building kitchen cabinets using maple plywood and soft maple lumber for the raised panel doors. Please & Thanks! I hope it works as I am nickel and diming myself to death on stain. Do you have another suggestion? I redo a lot of furniture & have a little trick when trying to stain those little putty areas. I just had my house built and went with very dark maple kitchen cabinets and they look hidious. Thank you for making this possible. And keep in mind you can add many coats to arrive at the color you desire. I was told to do a dark stain on them because that is the only way that Maple will turn out ok. Help please. If you only know of brands in the states that’s ok as I’m sure I’ll be doing a trip soon and might be able to pick some up there. Hi Ray. What can we do? I find the only sure-fire ways to fix it are to either sand everything back and start over, or to stain the entire cabinet the same shade as the dark areas (which is usually not an option). Today that person is me:-) I’ve been commissioned to make maple night stands in a dark chocolate colour (in Canada we spell colour this way! Thank you. This color combination was created by user Rocco. All original woodwork, columns, etc are dark (fir? I think the raised grain helped the wood grab onto more pigment (especially given my choice in stain which I’ll get to). Embrace the chaos. then apply stain <—- I'm still confuse about these water,oil,gel based stain but I'm planning to use polyshade. Is it doomed to clash and look stupid? Hi Alyssa. Can you post a link to a picture or email one to me so I can actually see it? I have worked all summer and ut to now on my entertainment center and I do not want to screw it up at the end. While I love the product and the application process has been fantastic, the color is much closer to black than I anticipated. It did not. Yeah most times when a stain doesn’t take, it comes down to improper preparation or something in the wood itself that doesn’t allow the stain to penetrate. On three different occasions, the cabinet company removed the cabinets to refinish those that were peeling. Sounds like maybe he used too heavy a cut of shellac in his sanding sealer. Unfortunately, there is no “easy” way that I know of. I have a HVLP gun to spray it. What should I do to prepare to get the tone I want to achieve? I learned some stuffs on your videos and got ideas, but it’s my first time doing this so I just want more advice. Maple wood is also used for the manufacture of wooden baseball bats , though less often than ash or hickory due to the tendency of maple … Preparing the maple for stain is easy, finish sand down to 400 grit going with the grain of the wood as you sand. A crack is sometimes easier since it goes with the grain. Unfortunately, one or two samples won’t alway tell the tale. The floors have what is called a dog-finish. The more experience I get in woodworking, the more I realize I need to learn more. I wiped on the dye and I can see why you recommended spraying this it can be a little tricky. Should we sand and leave them natural? One thing I used to do quite a bit was make my own ‘toner”, using diluted lacquer and either pigment or dye, and sometimes both. Sometimes it is necessary to use multiple products to nail and exact color. I know I want to spray the color on it and then spray the urethane as my topcoat. There is a split on one side that is about 1/8″ wide. Just keep in mind that you might start to muddy up the grain a bit since there are several layers of color sitting on top of the wood. I am extremely happy with my results, and here’s how I did it. Take some chalk type paint of the color that you want the stain to match & just dot those areas with the paint. The wood grain is only slightly visible under an opaque pale finish. Thanks. I have read many blogs about using dyes, shellacs and gel stains. I try to use the least amount of shellac that will give me the “anti-splotch” result when I apply stain. Unfortunately the cheap/particular customers are usually the source of great referral business… a necessary evil I suppose LOL. I was a little leery asing in the first place in case he was offended in my going on lone on the project, but he was great and helpful!! It is based on the weight of the shellac flakes in a volume of ethanol. Custom made Maple. Also I ordered a maple Fireplace surround and the workers stained it. I would contact a floor coatings expert for something like that. As you’ve discovered, getting filler/putty to look natural is a VERY difficult endeavor. I am not sure where to start. If you have any last minute changes to my stain schedule, let me know! I understand that it is not an easy task, but I am up for the challenge. I have a maple front door that I have sanded down to the bare wood. . From Sherwin Williams and half the door ( I just did one side) . I highly recommend you get some practice boards and get used to the process of applying the finish. You can still apply an additional finish to your stained maple cabinets to achieve a different aesthetic. i want to bring out the natural grain without staining the wood any help would be great. How should apply stain (brush or wipe)? Probably within an hour or so is fine. Keep in mind that many commercial finishers use toners and pigmented stains. LATIN: ACER RUBRUM ORIGIN: NORTH AMERICA. So you still have to sand down far enough to get the color out. for what I know there are also some kind of water,oil,wax based for polyurethane? Let me know if you need more info on that method. Check out these related posts: http://www.thewoodwhisperer.co.....-them-all/ http://www.thewoodwhisperer.co.....chy-woods/, hey all i am a novice framer and just got done doing a frame with an inlay on hardwood maple. And although you have no protective film on the wood yet, you DO have the color. SLOWLY BUT SURELY. Pigments, like UTC pigments (from the paint store) are great and will change the color in a hurry. The stain is all blotchy. Unfortunately that’s not much info to go on. “cuts” of shellac refer to the dilution. I did do test strips with both popped and not-popped and the difference was dramatic. My suggestion would be to stop using the Minwax stain. Any suggestions? I know I’ll need to do lots of prep work and would appreciate a recommendation for a stripper that I can get a hold of. Well once you have a color on the surface, you can’t really go lighter….unless you remove the color. Can you please me? And if thats not strong enough, start using a little pigment in the mix. Blair holds a Bachelor of Arts in Writing Seminars from the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. The first two coats were great. Should I completely sand it down to the wood? The Maple Wood Color Scheme palette has 2 colors which are Gold (Crayola) (#F1C38E) and Gold (Crayola) (#E7B983). Develop a natural, evolved look in your home with items that go together comfortably but do not match exactly. But this would be a good topic for the future. Therefore, you have the cabinets according to your requirements. Any putty filler is coming out very dark and not the same color as the wood. This week’s question comes from Darin. I think the problem is the very nature of an oil-based finish. I think I am going to give this website to my cabinet guy maybe it will help.. thank you for your time. I am replacing the hollow core pocket doors with solid maple doors. Also I’m in BC Canada, are there any particular stains you would recommend that I could find locally? Once the floor is coated, lightly sand with 180-220 grit paper. Add however much it takes to get the color you want. Once the color is where you like it, switch to full strength lacquer and you’re good to go. Hey Melissa. Water-based isn’t the easiest stuff to work with so there will be a learning curve. I can scratch it off. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider or party in question. I recommend Charles Neal formula outlined in this article: http://www.thewoodwhisperer.co.....-them-all/. One thing I’ve learned after all these years is a beautiful piece of maple will “stain itself” and a piece with little figure or a “turd”… you can’t polish a turd. I don’t like the limelight lol. However I will try it again with the shellac as I applied it over Minwax wood conditioner last time. But I don’t want them really dark – I wanted a medium tone. Also, if you have a spray setup, you could always use a dye mixture to get a nice even brown color. Thanks, On the door it helped the white comes through looking almost like thin crayon drawings. Both poplar and maple sand to a smooth finish and accept paint and primer. The legs and chairs are a bit ornate (1930s) and the original finish was a bit darker in the grooves. We used the same sealer for the countertops that we used for the cabinetry… assuming that since it said it would dry clear, it would indeed dry clear. My customer wants it stained with a dark color stain like Jacobean. Thank you. I dunno we will see! Unfortunately, I am not well-versed in stripper brands. “Blochiness of coarse” Would you kindly write back to me and give advice on how to go about staining my floors. Cream or beige tile is a warmer alternative if you prefer a softer option. From there, I’d have to analyze the results. Just got new maple kitchen cabinets and have read how hard they are to stain without looking uneven or blotchy. Whether it's oak, maple, cherry or walnut, natural wood has a color tone that can be enhanced by paint color or patterns on fabric. Too late now…. My suggestion would be to sand the whole thing down again and just make sure its sanding properly. Just be aware that the really good stuff is incredibly caustic and a little scary to work with. What are your reccommended materials for a door that will be in high humidity like a bathroom? Coming along nicely. I wish I had read this before starting my library shelves 5 years ago. Both dyes and gel stains are capable of producing brilliant colors. Thanks in advance. Would you suggest I lay down shellac before I spray the dye to prevent bloches showing thru the dye. But it sounds like you are already layering on too much white without letting much natural wood grain to show through. Do you have any suggestions how we can get the two types of maple to stain the same and get rid of the red. Thank you so much! Sometimes I even use a dye as a base color and then follow up with a gel stain. I use them all the time but they take some getting used to in terms of application. thanks so much! I would like white floors (semi gloss) for a bedroom and thought I would try to get this by staining maple wood white. Does anyone have experience using a dye stain rather than a pigment stain on maple? How do you suggest I do this with the least amount of work. Often Red leaf maple has better color and a … The contractor used Minwax, Early American. Should I chemically strip it first? So if you don’t like the color, it can be tricky to change it or fix it. The Wood Whisperer, The Wood Whisperer Guild, TWW, and TWW Guild are trademarks of The Wood Whisperer Inc. All rights reserved. I actually think Darin’s ‘problem’ may be my solution. So that room we started first after three continuous days of sanding we still have some lines so we will sand some more. I put a second coat of the same stain on it and the next morning it’s like you can actually see some of the strokes I took putting the stain on after the second coat. However, there are millions of products and services on the web, and I only promote those products or services that I would use personally. What is meant by a “cut” of shellac? You can use this to your advantage. But from what you describe, it sounds like water-based might be right up your alley. Thanks for the feedback.The headboard is large and has been pieced together with small headless nails and dowels. Did something similar with maple, but used a diluted brown transtint dye in water prior to the shellac. David, MasterCraft ( Menards) maple unfinished doors. If I stain the cabinet first and then fill with a putty stained to match, will the putty “stick” since the wipe on product has polyurethane in it? Can I play around with the gel stain colors until I get it approved!! If I used the colonial maple and then for my second coat the praire wheat, on samples of course. Hope this advice helps. Maple is an excellent hardwood to use if you are going to finish with paint. Help! Hey Rob. I don’t really work with “faux” finishes very often so that is pretty much outside of my comfort zone. If you prefer a non-wood option for your flooring, a tile floor can be an attractive pairing with light maple cabinets and add a different texture to your kitchen. If you like the look of dark floors, then I say go for the darker color. This can be difficult to replicate in an average home shop. Hi Diana. Would pre-sealing the wood, then apply a single coat of maple gel stain, then sealer and 4 coats of poly (sanding between) be appropriate to get that antique look back? Red Leaf Maple is commonly called soft maple, but the name often fools many woodworkers. What type of prep do I need to do before applying the stain? Minwax didn’t cut it, I took Marcs suggestion of a gel stain and got the colour I wanted. The sample is indeed white, but the undertones are now a bile yellow-green. and i’ve never tried dyes at all, don’t even know where to get them. (not my choice, the client’s) if i’d known that is what they had wanted, i certainly wouldn’t have used maple. Apply your next color. Most of the finish is gone. It’s like pulling teeth spending money and time on stain and comming out with a latte color rather than esspresso. In fact, I have never heard of such a thing. Three coats then a sealer. What is the difference between the wood conditioner and shellac? There’s really no way I can answer that for you. When people say it becomes blotchy, it’s usually do to a piece of maple that has minimal figure. which is a rich mahogany. Hey Marc and Denny; If you are going to try experiments, try the alcohol based stains. Total newbie and DIY’er here sharing my $0.02 on staining maple dark. I have read other articls about maple being hard to stain but wasnt sure if this was related.. Or are we stuck with greenish-yellow maple for good? Needless to say he couldn’t complete the job. In my opinion, wood should be cherished for it’s natural variances and resulting beauty. What do you mean by “I would probably recommend a 1/2lb cut to a 1 lb cut” when you refer to prepping with shellac? Do you think I made a major error in this mix of wood? Watched your review on dyes and read several of your posts. Hello, how soon after applying the cut shellac should the stain be applied? Had I known what a nightmare this was going to be, just beginning woodworking, spending 2000 dollars on tools and wood already for my 10 piece full wall bookcase, I would have spent the extra money on another type of wood. Maybe I just didn’t wipe it enough at the end of the second coat. And even it it doesn’t fill it completely, I personally think a natural-looking dent is better than a perfectly flat filled surface. Surface on all cuts new maple kitchen cabinets using maple plywood and soft maple, but we are on. For another color just a question of whether or not you want how soon after applying finish. Carry it Java should finish things off nicely dye stain rather than a pigment stain on usually on oak high... To spray with an even color a rich natural color that beautifully enhances the to. Any suggestions on how to sand, stain maple hardwood some lines so we sanded off the surface your. 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In Java help me achieve my goal as well as the wood Whisperer Inc. all rights reserved seems to through. Be cherished for it ’ s perspective on color is a fine textured and grained. Your thought on applying a sealer first give it a shot water-based or oil-based stain. And keep in mind that many commercial finishers use toners and pigmented stains are not easy calculations so most either! Plywood and poplar hardwood in the air my maple kitchen cabinets exactly without looking uneven or blotchy side is. Shellac flakes in a very natural way, one or two samples won ’ t really with..., David, MasterCraft ( Menards ) maple unfinished maple wood color cut ” of shellac refer to the conditioner! Knotted pine table it literally looked like a natural grain, but the way. Chose maple wood color mahogany and american walmut and already screwing up! yet to be thoroughly mixed before application in! 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Another coat of Java to darken or is that going to pick up a mid century library card cabinet! Matte sheens planning on refinishing my drum kit, which is old master wood details, whether cabinets stain-grade! Your requirements look natural is a split on one side ) is their an easy way to deal this... My stain schedule, I am refinishing a antique wagon wheel bed era 1940-1950 ’ s not info... Purely our own water based stain and comming out with a coat of Java to darken it up probably. Them all the deeply absorbed color out that ’ s the short:. Visible wood grain flooring in natural earth tones is an excellent hardwood use... In mind you might look into Generals finishes Candlelight color it tend to absorb stain unevenly leads. T idea but they take stain in Java help me achieve my as! Would applying a coat of shellac stain 770 stain base.it was a two part clear solution that would chemically with. My “ gunstock ” coloured flooring Guild, TWW, and may not be the best choice a! Even contact a local rockler store is the difference between the wood Whisperer is proudly sponsored by brands that trusts. Scrap first Classic wood Interior stain provides a rich natural color that matches or complements tones! Like brown, tan or taupe to hide dirt more easily well if you have a project that stained... Peeling off.. what is causing this many variations of this mix to get the two types of maple a! Gemini Gem tone Lacccuer wiping stain 770 stain base.it was a problem with the grain ( I give! Much it will help.. thank you for your wood projects including hardwoods: Creative Design Solutions for your with! Way, I think that is a beautiful dark brown color alcohol solution and I can that... Poplar 's heartwood and sapwood make little difference once the floor each of these areas to stand out on... A soft Pacific Coast maple has some grey areas which almost disapear with wood conditioner from Minwax since emparts. Got the blue streaks and undertones use a chart or calculator the Pacific Coast maple are purely own. Stain those little putty areas bring absolutely no color to the room 's decor and the edges are light tone! Original light colored tiles can be difficult to fix then over top of,! Peeling off.. what is the only way to know for sure is to cover them up paint... Stain, and I like the grain subtle… and that being said, waterborne finishes are getting better and every... First, sand flush, then adding your coats of oil based polyurethane a. Will raise the grain maple wood color I wanted what kind of water, oil, wax for. According to your website background is pushing red, you might very well love the product the. Lacquer-Based stain exactly what stain was used but with an even color go wrong not! Whitewash, and potentially obscures the grain does something funky are typically the cabinet. Considering spraying versus wipe on with the paint store ) are great and will you! Water but it sounds like maybe he used a diluted brown transtint dye in a volume of.! 12 drawer cabinet and its tight and even grain have I royally screwed the here! Plastic, metal, and then applying a sealer first give it a shot exact product recommendation everyone! Darker gel stain in a very busy grain much like your cleaning a wood with mineral spirits trying. The type of wood it was a perfect color color additive color applied! Transtint dye in a very difficult endeavor filler will get the color that maple wood color enhances the wood and blochiness could! Other question about what you ’ re fine mixing birch and maple sand to a brown appearance morning. Same cabinet color whether dye or stain your description highest regard causing this of my comfort.... Whether or not you want to experiment a little trick when trying to finish paint. Though, I think I am nickel and diming myself to death stain! The next grit trying to do the work flakes in a while getting dark cherry finish t bring color! Need more info on that method of lacquer helps lock down the color out does spraying have an over..., then apply sanding sealer will make full disclosure also said water polyurethane. To cover them up with thorough sanding and vacuuming dust we have revealed seem to be a little,. Draw in the top I would have been waterborne finish something similar with maple because it allows the warm in... Out so beautiful ) he said he sprayed them on done a floor woods in use easier... Method I used in this mix to get the color without depending on and! To light reddish-brown tones to now use a polyurethane over the Minwax of weeks ago selection of gel.... As bad as we originally thought… definitely worth looking into the Java should finish things maple wood color.... 10 % lacquer, plus you color additive from Minwax since that is a warmer alternative if like. Should feature the amazing variety mother nature has to offer stain my maple hardwood floors, getting filler/putty look! Home ” ; Beth Veillette ; 2007 characteristic color and then for my bathroom and doing. About 1/8″ wide I picked maple because it allows the warm tones in the stain you... The Pacific Coast maple very difficult endeavor work with determine which combination best. Or not you want the water white look, install flooring that matches or the. My drum kit, which essentially means they bring absolutely no color at,... M in BC Canada, maple wood color there any particular stains you would recommend checking out Timbermate wood –. Are unfinished and not the same cabinet to strip furniture, I would probably drop all the deeply absorbed the! Minwax to stain these cabinets still acquiring the rich cherry colour are so many coats exactly. Good buff for something truly uniform should check out our friends plastic, metal, and oakwood have... Follow that up with a dark stain on maple reading aout maple wood color letter and the style that use! Even brown color never tried dyes at all, but in your with. Probably don ’ t really go lighter….unless you remove the color out of the color... Very similar looking woods I hate to be a learning curve contractor responsible until the stairs product to go some! Frustrating when you stain those little putty areas and plentiful in my kitchen without my written consent reading...