David Grant wrote:

: First of all the stain seems to hide the grain of the maple... in some spots
: it creates an inverse effect where the lines become lighter than the other
: areas of the wood. In other areas dark/light patches occur with no apparent
: correlation to the way in which the grain is moving. I've never really seen
: anything like it... it's sort of neat, but not the natural effect I was
: hoping for.


Maple is a very closed-grained wood, and absorption of stain is likely to
be uneven. Try aniline dyes, which have a much more even coloration
effect in woods like this.


: For the finish I'm using Varathane's water-based semi-gloss. No matter how
: meticulous I am about brushing it on I can't seem to avoid getting bubbles.


You can add a tablespoon of milk to reduce bubbles. or switch brands -- I
like General Finsihes PolyAcrylic bend, applied with a paint pad (the
large
things with white bristles).

--Andy Barss