On Tue, 9 Aug 2005 08:59:16 -0400, the opaque "Gary"
clearly wrote:

For the past what seems like months I have been working on a small
cabinet/nightstand for SWMBO. You know how it goes, " To build YOUR
cabinet, I'll need those raised panel bits and that dovetail jig and that
router and spindle sander,..." LOL

I am a newbie and have been experimenting with several features in this
cabinet; raised panel doors, hand cut-dovetail corners and basis scrollwork
on the legs/feet. I have been using hard maple and maple plywood for the
carcus. For a newbie, I have been quite pleased with my work.

Well before I assemble the cabinet, I decided I should stain the parts. I
wanted to match our Pennsylvania House cherry bedroom furniture which is a
darkish brown color. Reading all about staining maple to look like cherry
here on the rec and the web, I bought aniline dyes; Antique Cherry Red and
Deep something Brown. I mixed up the Cherry Red and tested on some scrap.
Way too red. So I added just a dash of the brown. Like a chemical
reaction, the dye instantly turned a deep dark sh-- brown. I tried it on
scrap and decided that it wasn't too far from the bedroom furniture color
and decided to use it.

And so, I started slapping the stuff on my project pieces. I used a 4 inch
sponge brush to apply it. Well, it has made the biggest mess. Everywhere
the brush lapped shows a dark streak. It is impossible to get the color to
even out. There are several dark botches where the maple/plywood soaked the
dye right up and in other areas the wood hardly took up any dyes. You can
hardly see my beautiful hand cut dovetails. There is a white line on each
plywood piece where the plys butt against each other. The door panels look
like walnut stained yellow pine.

I an so disappointed it this mess. I had a really nice cabinet in the works
that I was proud of and now its a ****ty brown mess. I have no idea of how
to remedy this mess other than paint it white and stick it in my garage.

Condolences on one nastyass learning experience, Gary. This post
should be included in the Wreck FAQ as a "Why wooddorkers should
never stain perfectly good wood."

Next time, read everything you can about finishing before trying
something new. Read Jewitt's "Hand Applied Finishes", then move
on to Flexner and Dresdner's offerings. If you ever uses stain again,
ask the manufacturer (and those here who think they can use stain
properly*) about all of the pitfalls first. There are _lots_ for each
and every type of stain.

Potential ways to save it:

1) "ebonize" with a solid black stain. If it still looks like ****,
2) spray it with black or white lacquer. IISLLS,
3) stick it in the garage or shop.


*(AFAIC, it happens so seldom, I consider it unattainable.)



--
Impeach 'em ALL!
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