I am going to make some stair tread out of soft maple. I know its a closed wood and can have some issues if you try and stain it. I also read that dye works well but have never used it and also not sure if you can use a oil poly on top or would I need to use a water poly?


What I am looking to do it darken it to a redish-brown color and then seal with poly. I like poly due to it holding up well for floors so for stair tread I am thinking that should work well.

Is dye what I should use? Any brands to look for (have a woodcraft near me or can order online). I also have de-waxed shellac and used that for a wash coat on some popular and then coated with a gel stain. So I have used that and Gel before.

Thanks