Gary wrote:
For the past what seems like months I have been working on a small=20
cabinet/nightstand for SWMBO. You know how it goes, " To build YOUR=20
cabinet, I'll need those raised panel bits and that dovetail jig and th=
at=20
router and spindle sander,..." LOL
=20
I am a newbie and have been experimenting with several features in this=
=20
cabinet; raised panel doors, hand cut-dovetail corners and basis scroll=
work=20
on the legs/feet. I have been using hard maple and maple plywood for th=
e=20
carcus. For a newbie, I have been quite pleased with my work.
=20
Well before I assemble the cabinet, I decided I should stain the parts.=
I=20
wanted to match our Pennsylvania House cherry bedroom furniture which i=
s a=20
darkish brown color. Reading all about staining maple to look like che=
rry=20
here on the rec and the web, I bought aniline dyes; Antique Cherry Red =
and=20
Deep something Brown. I mixed up the Cherry Red and tested on some scr=
ap.=20
Way too red. So I added just a dash of the brown. Like a chemical=20
reaction, the dye instantly turned a deep dark sh-- brown. I tried it=
on=20
scrap and decided that it wasn't too far from the bedroom furniture col=
or=20
and decided to use it.
=20
And so, I started slapping the stuff on my project pieces. I used a 4 =
inch=20
sponge brush to apply it. Well, it has made the biggest mess. Everywh=
ere=20
the brush lapped shows a dark streak. It is impossible to get the colo=
r to=20
even out.=20

Use a rag and work fast. I just used some antique cherry aniline dye on=20
oak. It looks fabulous. But -- the streaking does show unless you work=20
the whole surface at once -- and fast.



There are several dark botches where the maple/plywood soaked the=20
dye right up and in other areas the wood hardly took up any dyes. =20

Maple generally takes a dye better -- but....

TEST FIRST.

Too late. We all learn that lesson the same way. (There was a song about =

that: When will we ever learn...?)

Get Bob Flexners book on Understanding Wood Finishing. Look in Amazon=20
and Chapters if you like.


As he points out -- there is a time and a place for a _stain_ this was=20
probably the place. Where you must deal with many absorbency factors in=20
the same project. Either that or treat each piece differently -- a lot=20
of trouble.

http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/item.a...atalog=3DBook=
s&Ntt=3Dwood+finishing++Flexner&N=3D35&Lang=3Den&S ection=3Dbooks&zxac=3D1=


Updated version -- about to be released...
http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/item.a...atalog=3DBook=
s&Ntt=3Dwood+finishing++Flexner&N=3D35&Lang=3Den&S ection=3Dbooks&zxac=3D1=


You can=20
hardly see my beautiful hand cut dovetails. There is a white line on =
each=20
plywood piece where the plys butt against each other. =20

Glue line -- chisel it out first... When the glue is still flexible --=20
but not "sticky".


The door panels look=20
like walnut stained yellow pine.
=20
I an so disappointed it this mess. I had a really nice cabinet in the =
works=20
that I was proud of and now its a ****ty brown mess. I have no idea o=
f how=20
to remedy this mess other than paint it white and stick it in my garage=
=2E
=20

Welcome to the _real_ world or wood working. Persevere.


Gary
=20
=20
=20


--=20
Will R.
Jewel Boxes and Wood Art
http://woodwork.pmccl.com
The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those=20
who have not got it.=94 George Bernard Shaw