"Michael" wrote in message
...
ray wrote:
I built that one. If you would like to see the finished product
it can be seen at

http://webpages.charter.net/ray93402.../woodwork.html

I cut all the parts myself. The tools used for building it were
a table saw, a bench sander and a thickness planner. I spent
about $30 for the wood.

Ray



Off topic for this thread, but how did you do the "lye treatment" that
brought out the maple pattern for the rubber stamp chest-of-drawers?
I found some beautiful rippled maple that I'd like to use as a backboard
for some small lights in my game room, and want to accent the ripple
pattern.

Michael

Lye is sodium hydroxide (NAOH). A source of pure NAOH is Red
Devil drain cleaner. This is carefully added to water and applied to the
wood. The amount of darkening is dependent on the concentration.
A teaspoon to a pint is a starting point. Do not get any lye on your
skin. Make the wood darker than you want because it will lighten
up when dry. Wash with water and neutralize with vinegar and finish
as desired. I also use this treatment on cherry to give it a head start
on the natural aging process. Others use dyes to accent patterns
in curly maple. This works because curly maple the grain goes
from flat grain to end grain and back. The end grain absorbs more
dye. Stains usually end up looking blotchy. I prefer the lye method.