Tips For Staining Maple: Best Techniques Of Staining Maple Wood

Best Techniques Of Staining The Maple Wood

The maple wood is generally considered to be strong, durable, as well as attractive when properly finished. It does have its own drawbacks like it can be difficult to stain, and is very much susceptible to shrinkage. However, from time to time, the user may want to change the color of the stain on maple items and it is important to know how to properly do it. Therefore, below you will find some important tips on how to get the best stain finish with Maple.

Avoid Stain When Possibl

If it is possible, leave the maple in its natural form unless it was pre-finished or pre-stained from the manufacturer. Maple is a hardwood having a very thin grain that makes it very harder for the stain as well as for the paint to soak into the wood. In almost all cases, consider simply protecting the original wood color finish with the help of a durable polyurethane clearcoat finish, instead of applying a variety of colored stain or paint to the hardwood.

Prepping Maple Wood

Properly prepare the maple wood before staining is the key to good results. Before staining maple wood, create a mixture of linseed oil and the turpentine in the same proportions. Then, with an old towel rub the entire surface of the maple wood where the stain is to be applied with the mixture. Immediately after that take a dry towel and then wipe off the excess and leave it to set in and try this at least 12 hours before staining. This will help create a better bond.

Pre-stain Conditioner

When applying the stain, the user needs to be sure to use a Pre-stain conditioner and even out all the blotchy patches that tend to appear. This will not completely solve the problem. Stains tend to fill out all the pores, cracks, as well as crevices in wood. If in case the stain cannot find a pore to fill, then it will be removed away when the excess stain is wiped away.

Finer Sandpaper Grits

The key to even staining is to sand the maple thoroughly, using finer sandpaper grits. Start with the 120 grit before going up to 180, and lastly 220. Try to evenly sand the entire surface with this final sanding. Then, take some 320 grit paper and sand the exposed end grain, which will tend to stain more heavily. To Sand, the end grain with the help of finer grit will fill out all the pores of the end grain. Lightly wipe down the maple wood before applying a pre-stain conditioner, then followed by the stain of the choice.