"Gary" wrote in message
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"Gary" wrote in message
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Snip




Thanks everyone for the great advise and sympathy. I'm going to try
lightening the dark spots
and darken the light spots; soak and sand. I'm think it might look better
after several coats of poly also.

I think I shouldn't have messed with it Sunday. You know how sometimes
you
just don't feel confident and put it away until later and it goes much
better? Usually these times, I either have a accident or screw up
whatever
I'm working on.

You failed to mention the flavor of maple and the degree of slick. In my
experience, hard maple takes a dye better right off the scraper, and will
lighten a touch as you dewhisker it after the first seal coat.

Soft maple has been a bit more cooperative, but it tends to have the odd
grin reversal in it which gives dark or light lines. It is, however, a much
better visual match for cherry than hard.