"Gary" wrote in message
...
Reading all about staining maple to look like cherry
here on the rec and the web, I bought aniline dyes

If you used a real aniline dye, you may be able to take some of the solvent
on a rag and wipe the pieces to lighten (remove some of) the finish. A true
dye will redissolve in the presence of the solvent and can be manipulated.
You will probably find you have more control over the application using a
rag. A sponge brush puts it on pretty heavy and wet.

Bob