"Mike Reed" wrote in news:1130642172.084595.296980
@g44g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:

Hey everyone,

I'm doing some cabinet work for our master bath, and I'm trying to
stain some pieces to match some store-bought cabinets. I have the color
right, but for some reason, much of the wood isn't really absorbing the
stain.

I am using "soft maple" as Paxton here in Austin labeled it. I'm using
minwax "Red Oak" and "Cherry," one after the other to get the right
color. The stains are oil-based.

That's pretty typical of many maples, especially if they have any figure.
After you've made sure your sanding is uniform, there are a few things that
may help:

- Use a stain conditioner
- Use a washcoat of dilute shellac (works in a similar way to a stain
conditioner)
- Use a gel stain (tends to be more resistant to blotching problems)

There are several good books you can find at the bookstore or local library
.... look for books by Jeff Jewitt or Bob Flexner.