EARLY AMERICAN MAPLE FINISH
Maple, if left unstained, takes on a yellow tone over time, graduallydeepening to a darker yellow-reddish brown. This is the color that you see on maple piecesin museums and is the color most cherished by collectors. Figured maples are the moststriking, since the figured areas deepen in color against the lighter wood surrounding it.
Step One - Staining
To match antique maple finishes start with the undertone color. I use a honey-amberwater dye available from suppliers of dry dyes. Other names like Early American Maple orHoney-Maple will work. Whichever dye you work with, it should be a predominately yellowtone with a hint of red and black. Before dyeing, sand the wood up to 150 grit and raisethe grain by sponging it with distilled water. When dry, sand with 220 grit. Thisminimizes the raised grain from the application of the dye. The concentration of the dyeshould be such that it leaves the wood a honey-straw color when applied. It's impossibleto give precise mixing instructions since all dye powders vary in concentration. The bestI can say is that I usually start with the manufacturer's recommended mixing ratio andthen dilute that by the same amount of water. If this is too light add more dye. If it'stoo dark, add more water. Apply the dye by flooding all surfaces with dye by brush, rag orspraying. Let it dry several minutes, then blot up the excess. This is where practicing onsample is important. The goal of the dyeing operation is to establish the primaryundertone of color. The color of the wood when dry should be light straw. Let the dye dryat least 8 hours and then scuff sand the surface very lightly with 320 grit sandpaperbefore proceeding to the next step.
Step Two - Oiling
This step adds depth to the dye and kicks out figure in the wood. Apply a small amountof a drying oil like linseed or tung to the surface of the dyed wood. About a thimble fullper square foot is all that's needed. Don't flood the surface. Wipe the oil on with a ragand let it dry several hours before proceeding to the next step. Caution: Always disposeof the rag by soaking it under water then letting it air dry on the side of a trash can.
Step Three - Sealing
The wood needs to be sealed before glazing. I use one or two applications of a two lb.cut shellac made from dry flakes. If you use only one coat of sealer, the subsequentglazing step will darken the wood significantly. Two coats of sealer and the glaze hasless of a tendency to "take". You will need to experiment to get the feel forthe difference. I usually use two coats when I want a very subtle color change from theglaze and one coat when I want a dark "dirty" look similar to very old pieces. Iuse dark shellacs like garnet or a dewaxed dark. Apply one coat by brush or spray and letit dry thirty minutes. Then take some 320 grit sandpaper and very lightly scuff sand allsurfaces to knock down any raised fibers. Then follow up with a light rubbing with maroonsynthetic steel wool.
Step Four - Glazing
Glazing establishes the final color of the wood and darkens the pores and any figuredareas. I make the glaze by taking one cup of glaze and adding 2 teaspoons of burnt umber,1 teaspoon Venetian Red and 1/2 teaspoon black. Mix the glaze thoroughly and check thecolor by smearing a small amount on some white paper. It should be a chocolate color.Apply it to all surfaces of the wood with a stiff bristle brush. Wipe the glaze off,leaving only enough on the surface as a thin veil of color. In corners and crevices, youcan leave more glaze to simulate an aged appearance. Let the glaze dry according to themanufacturers instructions. For the Behlen glaze I let it dry 5 hours. Remember that mostglazes do not dry to the touch so it's normal for the surface to feel tacky. The nicething about glazing is that if the color is not what or if its too dark you can remove itwith mineral spirits and not affect the finish underneath. Just wipe it off and apply adifferent colored glaze.
Step Five - Topcoats
The glaze needs to be sealed in with more finish. I apply another coat of a two lb. cutshellac over the glaze with a brush or spray gun. I don't use a rag since this tends topull off the glaze from the surface. If you want an all shellac finish apply another coator two of shellac. For more durability, apply a coat of oil based varnish or lacquer. Idon't recommend polyurethane since it may not adhere well to the shellac.
Jeff Jewitt owns and operates Homestead Finishing Products – featuringhard-to-find traditional finishing products. 5 Grades of dry shellac, oils, varnishes,brushes and their own exclusive line of dyes make Homestead Finishing Products a must forevery restorers supply needs. Excellent technical advice. Please contact us by:
Homestead Finishing Products
PO Box 360275
Cleveland Oh 44136-0005
Phone: 216-631-5309
E-mail jbjewitt@gwis.com
Also available are Jeff’s Book Hand Applied Finishes, and two videos, Coloring Wood and Applying Topcoats – winners or the 1997 Stanley Award for best How-To book and video.
For stuff to dye for............try
http://www.homesteadfinishing.com