staining problem

[Gordy Gonyo]

I put some oil based stain on a hard maple coffee table and it came out blotchy. Can I sand down and do somethig to help the process? What would cause this? This is the first piece I have made out of hard maple. Thanks for all tips - Gordo.

[ROBERT]

Sounds like an "infection" to me.

Did you at any time use silicon on any work surfaces? Did you use a wax on a platen and if so, did you buff it properly? Did you recently lubricate one of the tools you used? Was the stock a
nice, uniform lightly pinkish white color? Does the grain appear different in the bad areas?

Sometimes, though not very often, you can get what I've come to understand is a mineral deposit in some hardwoods which does not take stain as well as the surrounding areas. Thus, perhaps, the blotchy appearance. Ash, for instance, is especially prone to this.

Personally, I've never had a problem with hard maple, but then again, finishing is not my point of expertise, and I hope perhaps some contributor to this forum can give you better information.

[MadMark]

Maple has a tight, closed grain. It's notoriously hard to stain well.

On a scale of 1-5 with 1 being best and 5 worst, maple comes in at 4 for paint retention and is rated "moderately difficult" for penitrating preservitives.

Source: "Wood Handbook, Wood as an Engineering Material". Get yourself a free copy (it's in the public domain) from my web page: http://www.netexperts.cc/~lambertm/Wood/usdabook.html

M

[jmc]

I have heard that you need to put a "glue wash" or some other form of sealer prior to staining in order for the stain to be consistant. I believe there is an article at finewoodworking.com under techniques for this.