Dark colors on Maple ply...

[peter slamp]

I would like to 'stain' a maple ply bookcase I'm working on very dark brown. I believe some furniture stores call the color 'espesso'. Is this possible with ply? I've heard people talking about dyes and such, but noone has actually mentioned where to find them. Are dyes a better option for darker colors than stains? Thanks!

Here's an example from Crate and Barrel ...

http://images.crateandbarrel.com/is/image/CrateandBarrel/WalkerFileCabinet3QS7?$lg$

[Chris McDowell]

Peter I am just finishing an entertainment center for a client and it's maple. I use water based aniline dyes exclusively for coloring maple. Normal off the shelf stains generally have trouble penetrating the dense wood. They are available many places. I would suggest you try woodworkers supply. They even offer a free color chart.