Hi guys, im getting ready to build some custom curly maple furniture. I had some questions in regards to a couple points of the process working with this wood.
1. I am going to be staining with water based aniline dyes to pop the grain and achieve desired color. What grit should I sand to before i dye, as well as what grit should i use in between dye coats?
2. In regards to finishing, I want to acheive the most 3d poping effect possible with a super high gloss. And I want to retain a very rich glass like look.
So far in my reading is seems boiled linseed oil under a shellac is a great combo, possibly followed up with a lacquer sanded and buffed 2000+ grit for a high gloss.
Would you recomend anything different or better? Conversion varnish in place of lacquer? A totally different approach?
As a side note, is buffing lacquer to a super fine grit nessesary to make it super high gloss? I read many people doing this
Thank you!
Replies
Wood to be dyed is typically sanded to 180 or 220 grit.
Dye by itself won't really pop the figure in curly maple. In fact it tends to homogenize color. BUT, if you apply an initial dye application --say with a dilute solution of dark brown dye, let that dry, and then sand the surface, removing dye from the surface of the wood, but leaving dye which has penetrated more deeply into the porous areas of the figure. This really enhances the contrast of the figure. You can then apply a light dye coat of a different shade if you want a particular overall tint.
Boiled linseed oil can enhance the figure a small degree more since it makes the wood a little bit translucent in some areas.
Shellac makes an excellent topcoat especially since, in flake form, it is available in a number of tints, can be used under many finishes, and can be polished or a high sheen or (via the French polish method) applied to a very high gloss. It has excellent resistance to water vapor, good water resistance, but is vulnerable to alkaline household cleaners, especially with ammonia.
Whether you want a higher tech top coat such as conversion varnish depends on both the use of the pieces, and on the facilities available to apply a finish with somewhat greater needs for personal and environmental protection from the stronger solvents. Conversion varnish may also have it's own sealer requirements instead of shellac. Manufacturers technical data sheets and MSDS should be read and taken to heart.
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