Tim,
I am in the process of finishing hard maple with a product from Fuhr. It is
their #155 stain. It is a combination of a dye, pigment, and waterbased
binder. It is easy to apply with a rag and I got a nice even color. I plan
to spray a waterbased lacquer.
I find this a good product because: hard maple does not take a pigment stain
very well; I do not have to shoot a barrier coat of shellac over a water
based dye; I can apply it with a rag, brush, or spray; it comes in many
colors; and I can use a waterbased lacquer directly over it.
This is the first time using this product. So far so good. I have no
association with this brand.
Terry


"Tim Douglass" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 06 Jan 2004 03:35:15 GMT, "Scott Geyer"
wrote:

Hi all-

I'm looking for some opinions on finishing hard maple.

I am in the process of building some furniture for the new baby and have
200bf of hard maple in the shop ready to go! I've been doing some
research
on finishing and have read up on some interesting debates/experiences
with
finishes.

Has anyone had an experience that they think would be beneficial? I'm
open
to some ideas and have yet to purchase any finishing materials.

I'm thinking of going with a dye for light color, but what are some
recommendations for finish coats?
Any links to finishing techniques that I should check out?

I like the look of danish oil topped with shellac. Tried it (on
recommendation of others in this group) last fall. It came out exactly
as I wanted once I learned how to apply shellac without making a mess
of it.

Tim Douglass

http://www.DouglassClan.com