# Matching Maple to Birch



## hunter2093 (Nov 3, 2013)

I'm relatively new to finishing but have done quite a few sets of stairs in the last little while. I have a set to do now where the customer has given me Birch plywood for the risers and Maple treads and railing. I am having a gallon of ML Cambell stain mixed to match the birch but my issue is that the Maple doesn't absorb the stain as well as the birch and therefore comes out lighter. Will adding coats to the maple make it dark enough to match the birch?


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

hunter2093 said:


> I'm relatively new to finishing but have done quite a few sets of stairs in the last little while. I have a set to do now where the customer has given me Birch plywood for the risers and Maple treads and railing. I am having a gallon of ML Cambell stain mixed to match the birch but my issue is that the Maple doesn't absorb the stain as well as the birch and therefore comes out lighter. Will adding coats to the maple make it dark enough to match the birch?


We have an introduction section. It would be nice for you to say a few words about yourself. It would help if you fill out your profile in your "User Control Panel", experience level, and list your general location.

The Maple might need to be sanded with a more coarser paper. If you use an oil base stain, you likely won't be able to keep adding applications to get a match. Try using dyes to get a closer match.








 







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## Oneal-Woodworking (Apr 14, 2013)

Did you use stain base?

I think ML Campbell is WSB210? for that? 

(been a while since using mlc stuff)


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## hunter2093 (Nov 3, 2013)

cabinetman said:


> We have an introduction section. It would be nice for you to say a few words about yourself. It would help if you fill out your profile in your "User Control Panel", experience level, and list your general location.
> 
> The Maple might need to be sanded with a more coarser paper. If you use an oil base stain, you likely won't be able to keep adding applications to get a match. Try using dyes to get a closer match.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the Welcome! Sorry, did this today while I was at work and was a bit rushed. I Got a post on the introduction page now and my profile is updated.. I Just got this project coming up in a few days and I'm a little worried about getting it right. The customer I'm doing the job for is a flooring company and I don't know why he ordered maple stair parts when he knew that the floor it was supposed to match was birch. Also the plywood for the risers and skirtboard is birch. I told him that I would try to get it to match, but I don't know if it's possible. It's also a dark stain which makes it that much more difficult. The only maple stairs that I've done so far have just been lacquered so there were no issues.


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## hunter2093 (Nov 3, 2013)

OnealWoodworking said:


> Did you use stain base?
> 
> I think ML Campbell is WSB210? for that?
> 
> (been a while since using mlc stuff)


 Haven't tried anything yet. Just trying to get an idea of the best way to get the maple as dark as the birch.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

You really shouldn't add additional coats of any oil stain to make the wood darker. If you get a residue of stain on the surface it will interfere with the adhesion of the topcoat especially if you use any polyurethane as the topcoat. If you would use a dye stain such as Mohawk Ultra Penetrating stain it will tend to give you a more uniform color to begin with and if more color is needed on the maple you can apply multiple of coats of the dye to achieve the color you want. You can also apply a coat between the layers of finish if you need to supplement the color. If it is something that you need to mail order the dye is available in powder form which you can mix with alcohol you can perhaps buy locally.


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## hunter2093 (Nov 3, 2013)

Thanks everyone. I ended up not doing the project. The flooring company that gave me the stairs was too impatient to wait for the proper color to be matched so he took it back. I was actually relieved. I told him that if he wanted anything done in a timely fashion that he should do what the other companies do and bring me the color that they want and bring me all one species of wood. Best thing of it all is I learned more again.

Thanks again.


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