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View Full Version : dodging blotches in maple



Roger Benton
09-21-2009, 12:53 AM
I need to dye or stain a maple table to a brownish red color, but i've been hearing horror stories about maple's tendency to blotch pretty badly. I'd really like to use an oil based poly as a top coat. so I guess the acute question is:
can i use a clear sealer of some sort before the dye/stain to keep the blotching at bay? what works best?
thanks guys....

glenn bradley
09-21-2009, 11:55 AM
I use very thin Zinsser's Seal Coat dewaxed shellac for that. Maple is still a pain for me but less so when sealed. I get best results on maple when the color is a dye and it is sprayed. I don't get as much visual depth, but it is more even.

William Mitchell
09-22-2009, 12:08 PM
This is interesting since I'm working with Maple too. I'm using Zinnser's sanding sealer as well but now I can't get the color as dark as I would like using Watco's red mahogany Danish Oil. I'm thinking of tinting the seal coat to see if that will help me get it darker. What do you think?

Scott Holmes
09-22-2009, 6:48 PM
Watco is an oil/varnish & stain blend... it is not intended to go on sealed wood.

Tinting the seal coat would be the correct step. This is known as a toner.