Mark Hultzapple
09-06-2007, 1:10 PM
Hi everyone,
First time poster here. I am currently making a swinging cradle for the first grand child. I built the cradle out of soft maple and used craft store white wood dowels for the side and end panels. I'm concerned about matching the finish between the different woods. I have been rather naive about the complexity of finishes until reading everyone's ideas. As I read previous posts on 1:5 ratio white glue to water vs pre-stain conditioner, oil stain vs. dye, shellac vs poly vs lacquer, I'm starting to get concerned. I would like a dark cherry to mahogany color (to match other furniture in the room) with a subtle satin repairable finish. My biggest concern is the differences of wood and how they react to stains and finishes. Other than using a pre-stain conditioner to prevent blotching what should I be doing to ensure matching the cradle components? Thanks in advance for any assistance offered. Mark
First time poster here. I am currently making a swinging cradle for the first grand child. I built the cradle out of soft maple and used craft store white wood dowels for the side and end panels. I'm concerned about matching the finish between the different woods. I have been rather naive about the complexity of finishes until reading everyone's ideas. As I read previous posts on 1:5 ratio white glue to water vs pre-stain conditioner, oil stain vs. dye, shellac vs poly vs lacquer, I'm starting to get concerned. I would like a dark cherry to mahogany color (to match other furniture in the room) with a subtle satin repairable finish. My biggest concern is the differences of wood and how they react to stains and finishes. Other than using a pre-stain conditioner to prevent blotching what should I be doing to ensure matching the cradle components? Thanks in advance for any assistance offered. Mark