I’m building a set of cabs for a clients home office out of hard maple. They want me to stain it to a specific color, one of the colors below ( I have to make samples of each then they’ll choose).
The problem is, I’ve never stained maple, (yea, and I call myself a pro!) I always leave it natural with some tongue oil and wax.
There’s so many articles and opinions on the web that I’m confused now so I thought I’d ask you guys: what’s the best way of achieving the colors below? I have HVLP spray in the shop if needed.
Replies
Use dyes instead of stains. I can never get maple to stain like I want it to but have better luck with dyes.
use a toner. your lacquer supplier will be able to set up.
Custom Cabinetry and Furniture
http://www.BartlettWoodworking.com
A big 10-4 on the toner, and if you're not into laquer, you can do the same thing with shellac.
The only real way get a good color into the Maple itself is with a dye stain, pigments won't do it. Dye stains are not the longest lasting when in direct sun light though. With toners, the color would be easier to repair.
You won't get the color that even with dye or stain. With stain, you have to sand to a specific grit so there are scratches to hold the pigment. Too fine and the stain does not bite. Too coarse and you see the scratches. Maybe 180 grit for those colors. With dye, those are pretty dark. I dye for much lighter tones or really solid darks. The ones in between tend to be more blotchy and inconsistent. Toner is the way to go. It will hide the grain considerably, but you get even color. Spray sealer, then toner, then finish coats.
So I have (3) out of four votes for toner. Is there a good resource such as a book or website that may explain every exact step of doing this?
Thanks to all of you.
molten
I just finished a table in figured maple and had to get the color similar to the red birch of the kitchen that I built. I hate stain on maple as outlined above. It is especially bad on figured wood, it hides the figure and the color is muddy. Jeff at http://www.homesteadfinishing.com helped me through my first attempt with dyes. I used the liquid Transtint dyes and mixed up a color that looked pretty good and sprayed it on. After the first coat of sealer I wasn't completely satisfied with the color and added a couple of drops of the dye to my finish as a toner and it really evened out and richened (not sure that's a word) the color. I'd post a photo of the finish but I dropped my digital camera while bird hunting and all photos are way out of focus.
I'd check out the Homestead website, there is a pretty good FAQ area about dyes and using them as a toner as well. I posted a question and a photo of where I was trying to go and got a recommendation of what colors to try.
I did this today and it looks great! I tried spraying the dye on some scrap and it looked horrible...very inconsistent. So I sealed the wood then used toner as you'd recommended and it looks very consistent. The only question is if I should have added more dye because it took 5 coats of toner to get it as dark as I wanted. Tomorrow I'll spray some clear top coats and be done. Thanks.Molten
Well, this is why finishing is still an art. You can make your own toner. Just mix the proper dye with lacquer or sealer. Again, experiment is necessary. For light tones its easy. For very dark tones there is a limit on how much dye you can add. Too much dye and it can shift color or look like paint instead of dye. Probably should not need 5 coats of toner. Should be able to make it dark enough so that two coats will will work.
You'll probably need to make up lots of samples. Trying to match existing pieces (or a picture) usually has me mumbling to myself for hours or days. - lol
Edited 10/19/2004 11:08 am ET by Dave
You shouldn't have to do too many tests, especially if you can get a sample piece. A good supplier of colored lacquers should be able to match your sample. I've used Campbell products with success -- just a teeny bit of toner will lay down a nice colored lacquer with your HVLP system.
I suggest you look for a good supplier (and it isn't Home Depot!). There are good ones in the NJ/NY area, but I don't know where you are located.
Paul
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