trz Posted January 27, 2015 Report Share Posted January 27, 2015 So, my wife wants floor to cieling book cases. I'll build three seperatet units 8' tall by 3' wide by 12" deep then install and trim to look like built-ins. Using maple ply from the Borg. She wants them stained medium dark. I need what ever advice and tips you can throw at me to make that stained maple look good. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwacker Posted January 27, 2015 Report Share Posted January 27, 2015 If you can spray a spray stain will not blotch and will be just fine in any color on maple. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weithman5 Posted January 27, 2015 Report Share Posted January 27, 2015 i built my bathroom vanity out of maple and used several coats of dark brown dye. it is in the brown to black range and did fine. for what it is worth, i made the shelves out of birch plywood and used the same dye and looks the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted January 27, 2015 Report Share Posted January 27, 2015 If you can spray the stain use thin coats and practice on your scraps. Start lighter than your goal and put a finish on the test peice to see the true results. Thin coats overlapping builds a more uniform color. It's easy to get too dark to fast with heavy coats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trz Posted January 27, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2015 I was just looking at Charles Neils blotch control product, anyone familiar with it? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
friscomike Posted January 28, 2015 Report Share Posted January 28, 2015 I've used Charles Neil's blotch control and shellac and won't use shellac again. Neil's stuff is fantastic. If you have anything that blotches, this stuff fixes it. Follow his directions EXACTLY and you will love the results. With it i turned poplar into Cherry in appearance. ~mike c Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trz Posted January 30, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2015 Friscomike I have four sheets of plywood to do, how far do you suppose a quart of Neils product would get me? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry_in_SD Posted January 30, 2015 Report Share Posted January 30, 2015 I think Charles Neil's product would help but maple, especially Borg maple ply would be a challenge. If it were me, I would start with a dye followed by a gel stain as a glaze. Try test boards. Takes a lot of patience to do a lot of coloring experiments but worth it. Like stated, spraying would solve a lot of problems but OP did not indicated if he had access to HVLP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trz Posted January 30, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2015 I'm mot familiar woth spraying stain. Would that be your basic oil stain and would you wipe it down after spraying? I'll do some research on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry_in_SD Posted January 30, 2015 Report Share Posted January 30, 2015 I'm not an expert in finishing but you can spray stain or dye. If spraying stain you would generally wipe after spraying but there are cases where you can apply thin coats to build to the color you want. Spraying stain is mostly an alternative to ragging or brushing prior to wipe down. 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. You can spray without wiping dyes or top coats tinted with dye. Since you don't have spray capabilities, I was suggesting a multi step process that involves multiple layers of dye and stain to get the color and depth you desire. I would suggest spending some time doing on-line research on coloring maple in particular. Or one of this forum's experienced members can give you some steps to take if you are specific about the look you want and be clear about your capabilities and past finishing experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trz Posted January 31, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2015 Sounds like it going to be a challenge! Hopefully a learning experience. Thanks to all that have responded. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwacker Posted January 31, 2015 Report Share Posted January 31, 2015 I'm mot familiar woth spraying stain. Would that be your basic oil stain and would you wipe it down after spraying? I'll do some research on it. No spray stains are most commonly lacquer based. There are also plenty of water based out there now days but they are harder to use. They don't get wiped off that would be a wiping stain using a sprayer as the applicator. You can duplicate the results of the CN stuff with glue and water better yet a clear stain base is better than both. If you can't spray I would hand apply clear stain base then mop on stain with a helper if your dealing with large panels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trz Posted January 31, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2015 Thanks PB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bm3324 Posted February 4, 2015 Report Share Posted February 4, 2015 new to the forum and it's already helping me! I'm in the process of building a maple ply dresser and was looking for staining advice. Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1oldwoodman Posted February 27, 2015 Report Share Posted February 27, 2015 If you can spray a spray stain will not blotch and will be just fine in any color on maple. I second that! Still a rookie to spraying but when doing a large piece of veneer spraying has been a life-saver as it virtually eliminated any blotching issues for me! And I am using a relatively inexpensive sprayer, the Earlex 5500 with a 1mm tip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Yorke Posted September 3, 2018 Report Share Posted September 3, 2018 Would using a pre-stain help with achieving an even stain? I'm building a cube chair for my toddler with maple plywood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted September 4, 2018 Report Share Posted September 4, 2018 Pre stain will reduce blotchy areas and produce a more even result. But it will not help in achieving a darker color. Gel type stains might be a better choice or dye. Minwax stains will not give you good results. General Finishes dyes & gel stains are a better choice. Be smart, prepare some scraps exactly like your project. Sand the same amount of time & same grits. Use the same wood filler & edge treatment. Practice your finishing techniques on the scraps until you get results you like. Keep notes on what you use and in what order. Read the instructions on the General Finishes literature, can or website. It's pretty good info. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Yorke Posted September 24, 2018 Report Share Posted September 24, 2018 Much appreciated. All of this makes sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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