Night stand - Maple Ply - stain or dye

[Steve Strohm]

Making a nightstand with 4 drawers because wife needs extra storage. Trying to make it cheap because we are renting apt and havent bought bedroom furniture yet

Box is 3/4" maple ply from BORG so thin veneer, drawers are 1/2" sandeply. Drawer fronts are made from borg "common board" because wife liked look of the knots. (iknow, i know)

Wife also liked the idea of the antiqued navy stain (oil based) but am I right to assume that it will not stain well on the maple ply or the common board?

So my thought now and please let me know if this is wrong:

For plywood box and drawer fronts:
1 -wet to raise grain and sand with 320
2 - 1lb cut dewaxed shellac to help blotchiness
3 - dye with general finishes dye stain
4 - light coat of 2 lb de-waxed shellac
5 - some type of top coat

For the drawers:
1 - One or 2 coats of de-waxed shellac

would this be sufficiant? am I correct to assume the oil based stain with look bad on the thin veneered maple?

Thank you for all your help
Steve

[Steve Strohm]

actually suppose my question really should be what is the best way to stain/dye maple plywood?

[Andy Giddings]

Steve, have a look at the Homestead Finishes website. Jeff Jewitt has a whole set of videos on staining maple to look like cherry. I've found the best way to stain Maple without a lot of hassle is to use General Finishes Water Based Stain (not the Dye). Doesn't need a sealer or shellac - easier than most to apply and gets over the blotchiness issue. Not sure they do Navy

[Steve Strohm]

Steve, have a look at the Homestead Finishes website. Jeff Jewitt has a whole set of videos on staining maple to look like cherry. I've found the best way to stain Maple without a lot of hassle is to use General Finishes Water Based Stain (not the Dye). Doesn't need a sealer or shellac - easier than most to apply and gets over the blotchiness issue. Not sure they do Navy

will take a look, thank you for the reply!

[Scott Brader]

I've found the best way to stain Maple without a lot of hassle is to use General Finishes Water Based Stain (not the Dye). Doesn't need a sealer or shellac - easier than most to apply and gets over the blotchiness issue.

I second the recommendation of the GF WB Stains. I just finished a pair of maple nightstands for my son and daughter in law with General Finishes Expresso WB Stain and it turned out great. I had done some tests with the stain on bare wood, stain over conditioner and stain over a very light shellac washcoat. I ended up just doing stain over the bare wood. I don't have pictures at work, but I'll try to remember to post some later.

Scott

[Steve Strohm]

thank you Scott. Noticed an older thread that said: 1) 1 lb cut dewaxed shellac 2) water saluable powdered dye 3) 2 lb dewaxed shellac 4) gel stain 5) top coat.

You and Andy's idea has way less steps so maybe ill try it first on some scrap, tks again

[Andy Giddings]

Scott mentioned Expresso WB - just used this on a Maple rocker for my wife (the cushion was her idea :-)). One coat on bare wood was enough to give a deep color
353621

[Steve Strohm]

looks great! what did you use as a final coat after the GF WB Stain?

[Andy Giddings]

Thanks. I used 3 coats of GF High Performance Satin applied with a brush (one of Homestead Finishes Golden Taklon).