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Finishing maple

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maple sanding
2K views 7 replies 5 participants last post by  Mean_Dean 
#1 ·
Finishing maple

I am finishing a maple piece. It is sanded 120, 150. I am getting ready to go to a 180 then a 220 before applying a wood conditioner (2 coats with a 320 sanding after each) before using a wiping stain. Am I on the right track? I feel I might be over sanding but not sure. Getting sanding fatigue! haha
 
#2 ·
Your getting sanding fatigue because your doing too much. It depends what finish you use but if you are going to use a film finish , spray laquer or conversion varnish then you only need to sand to 120 . Stain then spray. You are working toward a hand rubbed finsih. That is what guys who want a hand rubbed finish do. They sand until there blue in face then rub a finish. If you are staining then your still doing to much. I always spray the piece with a clear laquer before i stain because the stain takes the end grain and flat grain differently. The guys who use a hand rubbed finish never stain because they rub it off. Good luck . All this and Heaven too.
 
#3 ·
I don't think so…

There's going to be nothing left for the pigment to lodge in. The pigment particles will wipe right off a 320 grit sanded, sealed surface. I'm a big fan of dyes and sprayed tinted clear coats on maple.

As you're sanding your project, have you been preparing some scraps for finish tests? If not, prepare some and test your finish there first.
 
#4 ·
I tried the dye (TransTint) and it blotch. I did a sample as described and its nice. The sample is on the veneer and I also have trim, cabinet front, molding - all of which are solid maple. Don't want problems with the solid maple!!! Nervous about that. Will take advise scrap for finish testing. I will definitely figure out how Arthouse is doing this but sounds like I'll need to invest in a sprayer for all his options. Oh…and I'm going dark… dark walnut specifically, and very shiny!
 
#5 ·
Deanna,

I agree that you're sanding too much. If you're going to stain, don't sand past 150 grit. In fact, the lower the grit you sand to, the darker the stain will be. So, 120 will be darker than 150, etc.

I highly recommend you read Bob Flexner's book "Flexner on Finishing." He has a chapter on dealing with blotching, and also sanding, staining-basically everything you need to know about finishing, in one book. You should be able to check it out from your local library.
 
#6 ·
You can't get a dark walnut using a wipe on stain because there are no cracks and crevices for the particles (think fine mud) to lodge in. With conditioner and the fine sanding you're doing you'll be lucky to get to a light beige color! I just finished a Murphy bed and two cabinets out of maple in a dark antique cherry. I sanded to 220 and used Trans-tint dye in alcohol to eliminate grain raising- SPRAYED ON LIGHTLY IN MULTIPLE PASSES. The light multiple passes allow the color to go on EVENLY without standing on the hard stuff and soaking into the soft stuff (NO BLOTCHING - everything gets the same amount of dye!). Then I put a LIGHT seal coat of dewaxed shellac (conditioner) on it followed by a walnut wiping stain to add a little personality to the grain. I then shot 3 coats of dewaxed shellac, scuff sanded to 320, followed by 2 coats of Minwax Polyacrylic. This was all done with a $20 spray gun from Harbor Freight!!! Looked great!
 
#7 ·
I have worked professionally in huge Millwork shops my whole life. I have run manufacturing facilities in L.A. Colorado Springs , and San Antonio and been trained by professional finishers who work everyday finishing veneered panels for million dollar jobs. A true dye stain in mixed individually from the base colors for each color and sprayed on. The idea for dye is to sit on top of the wood never filling the grain therefore one gets an even color through out. It drys as soon as it hits the wood and can be sanded off if the desired color is not found. Then sprayed film finish laquer or conversion varnish is applied. If you use a oil stain then spray the piece first and the stain will sit on the clear coat evenly. This is the professional way and the best. Anyone rubbing a dye stain will get blotching because it is too much at one time. Dye stain is always sprayed . Hope you get it . All this and Heaven too.
 
#8 ·
If you use a oil stain then spray the piece first and the stain will sit on the clear coat evenly. This is the professional way and the best.
- Arthouse
Arthouse,

Question for you: If you spray a clearcoat over the wood first, then apply the stain, will the stain adhere to the clearcoat? It seems like it would just wipe right off.
 
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