Replies

1. 
   b1gcountry | Apr 04, 2003 05:41pm | #1

   BLO will darken curly maple very nicely. It will accentuate the curl in it too. It will not get it *DARK* though, but will become darker with age.

   If your client wants a really dark wood, then I would try to steer them away from maple.

   'Country

2. 
   garth | Apr 04, 2003 06:46pm | #2

   IME maple does not take a dark stain very well you may be better off trying a dye. Get one of the dark browns and try on some scrap.

   Scott T.

3. 
   biznazion | Apr 04, 2003 07:23pm | #3

   I was recently faced with a similar situation, I had made a couple end tables out of maple for my wife and she wanted them dark.  After putting them in the house for a couple months to try and make a case for leaving them light - I could see I wasn't getting anywhere.  I tried pigment and gel stains and was very dissapointed with the results on scrap.  I ordered about 5 different "brown" versions of water based dye stains and started trying them.  We finally decided upon a 50/50 mix of english brown oak and early american cherry.  The dye worked very well on the maple and the color came out nice and even - even leaving the grain showing through.  I followed that with 4 coats of watco cherry colored oil and once the weather warms a bit - they will be topped with varnish and rubbed out.

1. 
   Tac4 | Apr 05, 2003 12:56am | #4

   I am going to steer them away from maple if at all possible simply because it's a pain in the butt. Maybe it's time to dig out that sample of curly walnut...But honey, I can make money if I had just one more tool. Really.

4. 
   stancalow | Apr 05, 2003 01:51am | #5

   How about trying some dark garnet shellac? 

1. 
   Tac4 | Apr 08, 2003 12:52am | #6

   Thanks Stantheman,

   I've never seen dark garnet shellac. Will that not blotch? And where can I get it?But honey, I can make money if I had just one more tool. Really.

1. 
   stancalow | Apr 09, 2003 06:29pm | #7

   Chad

   I ordered flakes from Jeff Jewitt's site - Homestead Finishing (I think it is http://www.homesteadfinishing.com).  I'm sure other purveyors have it too.  It looks pretty good on maple and others, but don't use too  many coats or it will be too dark.  I use two coats of garnet, then more coats of blonde to get the tone I like on maple.

   Stan