matching walnut color on a maple case

[WoodLight]

I have very little experience with staining - normally preferring to leave my projects in their more natural state, just coating with a clear poly or shellac - but I have a maple ply shelf case already built that I've now decided to edge with walnut. I would like to stain the maple to a relative match with the tone of the walnut trim/edging. I don't need an exact match, after all the maple will still be maple and I'm not under the illusion that staining would fool someone who looked closely. What I do want is something close enough that the maple is not contrasting with the walnut, but blending into the background.

I've done some quick stain tests on scraps of the plywood, using Minwax's 'dark walnut' and a mixture of 'dark walnut' and 'cherry'. I have yet to test with a coat or two of poly, but so far I am skeptical I will like the results.

What stains/dyes would you use in trying to make a match like this?

[Derwood]

I recently did some trim work. We used mini wax Jacobean stain to match maple and oak. Well, like you said, not match, but bring out. Neat color in my opinion, try a sample.

[WoodLight]

Hey Derwood,

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll buy a small jar and give it a shot on some samples.

[dcustoms]

I would definitely put some clear over your stain samples a lot of the time the color changes with the addition of a clear coat. I don't have a lot of experience with minwax stains because i primarily use lacquer based stains. I don't know if you have access to a sprayer but I have had success with lightly toning finishes by adding stain to the poly before spraying just to tone out lighter areas. Another option would be to stain the whole case then go back and "mist" the lighter areas with the stain and just let it dry with out wiping. Another option would be to stain the whole project then seal everything with a wax free shellac and then go over the lighter areas with a gel stain and start to build up the color until it matches the walnut. The best way would be to tone the maple first. there are a few posts about toning on this forum. Here is a link to a

that Don posted on the forum. Hope this all helps.

[WoodLight]

dcustoms,

Thanks for the suggestions and for the video. At this point, I've added several layers of clear to the stained scraps. It's still not doing it for me. I think this is one reason I've avoided stains/coloring in the past - the colors just have never felt right. The 'walnut' stain (even with some 'cherry' added for a slight red) is just a harsh dark that doesn't seem natural or desirable. The fumes of stain are also a real irritant for me. Dyes and toning is something I've never tried, but it does sound like it might be the best approach. Seems like it adds more control and possibly better color/mixing options. Do you have a favorite brand of toner/dye or suggested colors to begin with?

My father has a spray setup that's currently boxed in storage and I have no spray equipment in my small shop, so I'll probably try wiping thinned and toned shellac/poly on top of a seal coat. I'll definitely do a search of the forums to see what else I find.

Thanks again.

[wdwerker]

Dye is the better way to go. Alcohol or water soluble can Be mixed to the strength of color you prefer.