Please give some detailed processes. Start with Wood Stain Sealer and a Test Board Divide a test board into three sections. Apply the stain to the maple cabinets in sections with even strokes. Try Oil for Popping the Grain and Giving Curly Maple an Aged Amber Color. When you want a dark color on a light wood like maple, you need to add the lost color back in using another step or two. Seal coat with acetone reduced sanding sealer. NGR (dye) sprayed on bare wood Transparent- and should give you at least 50% of the color you are aiming for. A mason jar with a positive-sealing lid will prolong the shelf life of your dye. Staining maple is generally not recommended by finish manufacturers since the dense grain does not allow the penetration of most pigments. From what I have read, Maple requires a pre-stain conditioner, and even then it might be difficult to acheive a darker colour, and a consistent look. You can spray without wiping dyes or top coats tinted with dye. Paint the stain on with a paintbrush or a rag using even … Will prevent blotching from step 3 3. After this dries, the iron nitrate is applied. Shake the can of stain very well before opening. Apply a clear protective finish before the stain has dried completely. Sanding the wood to 600 grit exacerbated the problem by burnishing the surface of the wood; rendering it even less able to absorb the stain than if you had stopped sanding at 180 or 220 grit. This stain added very little color to any of the boards, (maybe slightly lighter … Pour the oil into a … How to Stain Maple Dark. Wipe the surface with mineral spirits and allow it to dry before sanding. The gel coat or gel stain has a heavier level of pigment and that's what you will need to make maple as dark as you are going for. Wood Stain Colors to Spice up Your Summer. Adds color and grain definition. As the name suggests, stain can leave permanent discolorations on whatever it … … Before – curly maple … Stains are formulated to dry in the wood, not on the wood. 2. I have a new piece of furniture made out of northern Minnesota hard maple and the customer wants a dark stain. Following these steps I would use a tinted sealer or topcoat to increase the color as needed. Maple is a difficult wood on which to achieve uniform stain, and the appearance can look as if … Stain the Maple Cabinets. This week I done some more testing with stains, this time I tested them on Soft Maple wood. I might also use a glazing step for color or accent. In the future, just use our water-based stains or gel stains on their own. I'm sure if you search the forum under toning you'll find all you need to know. You'll find helpful staining tips and stain color suggestions in these articles. I didn't know that so I am looking for advice on how to achieve the best results. I just had maple stair treads and newell posts installed in my home and, when the contractor stained them with a medium-dark stain to match my hardwood floors, they came out all streaky and blotchy. I know maple isn't the easiest wood to stain dark but it's already bought and cut and this color combination is necessary for matching purposes. Since we wanted to go really dark, we actually had it water popped, then dyed, then stained. If you decide you want to stain Hard Maple dark, be aware that this will be a difficult piece of furniture to match down the road if you decide to do so. Minwax Pickled Oak. (Finishing Forum) The sealcoat will stop most if not all of the blotching, and then to change color you will need to use a gel type stain because the sealcoat won't let the stain soak into the grain. From contributor K: June 17, 2009, KnowledgeBase: Finishing: General Wood Finishing. If your maple floor is old, it takes the stain better and would be less blotchy than new maple floor would. Will prevent blotching from step 3. The color will be a dark espresso. This will later peel off. When staining maple do not try and force dry times. 2. Staining Maple can be done and it can be done very well. The last piece I stained out of this wood blotched and I would like to know how to get a nice finish. Try the finishing system in some pieces of wood panels. Then I add distilled water. From contributor E: Do not use liquid oil-based stains on Maple because they will blotch. The last thing you want is to have brush bristles stuck in the stain. If you want a darker finish on Maple, use a Dye Tip Number 2, Always start staining on the backs, so if you hate the stain experiment, you will not see it every day. Dyes work better but limit the colors available. Make a sample, make sure you're good with repeating it, then get them to sign off on it before the finishing. The bar top will be a like a cognac or mahogany color on maple plywood and the sides will be maple ply and 1x3's with an ebony stain/dye. What product (or steps) and procedures should I follow? Leave one section raw; wipe full-strength sealer on one section, and wipe half-strength sealer on the third section. Choose a dark color stain to color the oak. Flood on the color. I am in the process of staining maple for a Bar. Also, prep sand Maple with 120 grit, followed by 150 grit or 220 grit. NGR (dye) sprayed on bare wood Transparent- and should give you at least 50% of the color you are aiming for. Find the Right Wood Stain for Your Project What Are The Best Stain Colors For My Deck? Forum Responses Pigment wiping stain. Dust Collection, Safety and Plant Operation, Job Opportunities and Woodworking Services, Here's a variety of suggestions for getting Maple to take a dark, even stain. Hi, new member here. Adds color and grain definition. Many interior wood stains and deck stains are formulated with pigment or dye. They have been reproduced using digital production techniques. How to Apply a Faux Stain to Painted Furniture: Barn wood Finish Supplies. This is used in conjunction with ferric or iron nitrate in the staining process. 3. In your case with maple ply, wiping stain would be a challenge no matter how you first apply it due to the blotchy and uneven way maple talks a stain. It should be noted that dying/staining a maple floor is a special process that costs more than ordinary refinishing, but achieves a very beautiful result for those that want to have a dark floor, but are living with a maple floor. Minwax is definitely not my favorite so I am not sure about going this way. Sand, stain, and … Zinnser Bullseye 123 Water-Based Primer (Optional)* – Click here for the current price.. Sander or Sandpaper for Light Sanding – See my post on the Best Sanders for Furniture for a great option under $20 or click here if you’re in a hurry: Low-Cost Mouse Sander. Strip a thick layer of urethane with a chemical stripper. Dark Stain for Maple 1. Adding the color back is easiest to do using a spray gun to apply dye to the bare wood before applying the washcoat and/or by applying a colored finish over the stained and sealed wood (called a toner or shading stain). Now if that stain still isnt dark enough, then you might want to move to a darker gel stain. Question I hope this helps somebody that's looking to stain Maple. Washcoat 1# cut shellac. Pigment wiping stain. From contributor C: Spray on an appropriate brown dye heavily thinned with methanol in order to get dark enough. A reaction between the iron nitrate and tannic acid occurs forming an iron tannate compound which is very dark in color. You want to do some toning - putting some or most of the coloring in the clear coat, which must be sprayed on. Rob Johnstone: Staining maple to a dark hue, which is very dense and quite light in color, with an oil based or gel-style product is hard work … and in my opinion, not a good idea. July 16, 2012, KnowledgeBase: Finishing: General Wood Finishing. Make sure you get the right color before execute the product. I would start with Zinsser's Bullseye sealcoat. We want our customers to have all the information they need to make big decisions, and knowing the truth behind Hard Maple is a part of this. I have been suggested to use Minwax wood conditioner followed by Minwax clear wood stain and then the colored stain. I have been doing some searching online tonight, and it … Always test stain on a hidden area of the wood to verify desired color. The colors shown are for reference purposes only. When you apply the stain, make sure that you use a brush of very high quality. 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