Q: I built a dresser with soft maple. I am ready to apply the finish which included a dye stain under a polyurethane top coat. I have been testing pieces to ensure that the wood will all look uniform and it does not. I have sanded everything to 220 and certain boards look like they are much darker than others. I am wondering how to achieve a more uniform look.
A: Some boards may indeed be darker than others, but dye, applied properly, is very likely to make them more uniform, not less. You did not tell me whether it was the dye application causing your problems, or simply the fact that some boards start out a different color. Thus, I can’t address your direct question, but I can help by offering basic primers on both dyes and soft maple. I’ll do that over the next few days by dividing your question into two parts: using dye properly, and staining problems of soft maple.
Michael Dresdner
straight talk about wood finishing
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