Tips for staning maple wood

Hardwoods can be an attractive furniture choice, but if a homeowner does not buy one prestained, he must decide to apply the protective finish himself, if the owner of the piece wants to accentuate the natural beauty of wood like maple.  It can be difficult to stain maple, however, as unlike softwood, maple can easily blotch or stain.  

Applying a finish can be a finicky and time-consuming process, although it can be made a little easier through these tips.   (Searching sites like woodweb.com can help a do-it-yourselfer with many of his woodworking projects.)   

The process of staining maple and many other hard woods falls into three basic steps: applying a base coating, applying a second coating, and finally applying a toner.  It is a good idea to sand the furniture between each step to ensure the smoothest finish possible.

Applying the Base Coating

The most effective way to apply a stain to maple is to spray the coating on.    The first coat will be a mixture of stain and a dye.  Woodweb.com recommends a mixture of three parts thinner to one part dye.   After it is mixed, apply a thin coating to the wood, being careful not to over saturate areas.  Apply it as evenly as possible, but remember that perfection is not yet required.    

When the coating is applied, let the wood dry.

Applying the Second Coating

The second step needed to stain maple is to spray the second coating.   This will be done with a slightly thinner mixture of stain and thinner than used in the first process.   The stain should be applied fairly evenly in an attempt to eliminate blotching, one of the most common problems homeowners encounter when trying to stain maple.  When the second step is finished, let the stain dry and sand off the rough spots.

Applying a Toner

The toner is a separate product which is applied after the first two steps have been completed to the do-it-yourselfers satisfaction.  The maple has been stained and this step is to help protect the finish.   The coat should be sprayed on lightly or applied lightly with a brush.   The wood can then be matted if the handyman so designers or it can be left alone.  If all goes well, the project maple staining project has been completed and the user can go on to other things like applying a matte finish.