# Staining Maple to look like cherry



## mixer440 (Oct 24, 2009)

You'll just hate this one, I know.

My sister is real picky and wants a nightstand that has a "look-a-like" cherry finish. Not the brownish cherry, but more the red cherry. I have a bunch of maple left over from another project, so I want to use that up.

The question is: Has anyone used the mass marketed stains (Minwax..etc) on maple and come up with a nice looking cherry look ?

If so, what brand/color ?

My plan would be to use a sealer first, then stain and poly.


----------



## Dominick (May 2, 2011)

If she's so picky, then why don't you be picky and say you'll do it in cherry and not stain? No stain no gain.


----------



## mikeswoods (May 18, 2009)

Maple is one of the hardest woods to stain----it blotches badly---most cabinet makers spray on a colored finish---

If you wish to use the maple---you will have to blend a color that works---and be prepaired for failure.

Where are you located? I buy cherry from a local mill--price is good---however,location is important--here Cherry is a native wood--


----------



## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

As long as you don't use some maple with a lot of swirls that shouldn't be a problem but might be more costly than using cherry if you never do it again. Just use a dye stain to color the wood. Most cherry dyes are more brown than red so you might need a cherry dye and a red dye to alter the color. I use Mohawk Finishing Products Ultra Penetrating Stain. A little goes a long way and the stuff seems to have a unlimited shelf life. It works better sprayed but if you thin it with alcohol can be wiped on with a rag. Just use gloves, the stuff stains like ink and will color your paws. Here is a color chart. http://www.mohawk-finishing.com/catalog_browse.asp?ictNbr=178 Many places carry Transtint Dye which is good but the don't have quite the selection of colors and would take more mixing and testing.


----------



## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

mikeswoods said:


> Maple is one of the hardest woods to stain----it blotches badly---most cabinet makers spray on a colored finish---
> 
> If you wish to use the maple---you will have to blend a color that works---and be prepaired for failure.
> 
> Where are you located? I buy cherry from a local mill--price is good---however,location is important--here Cherry is a native wood--


+1. :yes: If you get Maple to look like Cherry, it won't age/darken with time like Cherry will.


















.


----------



## ColorStylist (Jul 19, 2014)

You can also use a "weak red-looking" sap stain to get you closer to the color of cherry wood first, then apply a cherry color stain of your choice, washcoat to seal the color and keep the wipe stain from bitting in too hard, light sand with 320 grit, then a wipe stain of your choice, then apply sealer to lock in the color , sand with 240 grit, and then a gloss laquer of your choice.

Always consider using a conditioner or a simple "thinned" washcoat first on maple to help blotchiness, sand with 320 grit paper, then sap stain and so forth.

You can make a "conditioner washcoat" simply by taking a high solids sealer (say 24% solids) and thin it with thinner 1:1. Always scuff sand washcoats with 320, 400 or higher to avoid sanding through the washcoat. Also avoid sanding edges until applying a sealer later in the finishing schedule like I suggested above.


----------

