# tiger maple refinishing / newb ???'s/ pics!



## steck (May 7, 2008)

so i've been given this chest from my parents who were tired of staring at it in their basement. I decided to strip the paint, sand it down, and re-stain it...just for a part time project. i've done a little bit of this before...maybe two or three little things - i am a beginner/amatuer.

i was surprised to see the 'graining' in this chest. Google is awesome, as i learned this is '*tiger maple'* or *curly maple*....you can see why its called "tiger" !! sure looks like the back of one.

so, i'll post some pics of the project and comments and feedback would be great


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## steck (May 7, 2008)

i should have added the fact i originally started to sand this chest...but the varnish would gum up the sanding disks too fast !

so i switched to paint stripper, and 'poof' this dark pattern emerged (as seen in the 2nd pic) 

I did read already, that you shouldnt sand down tiger maple (if thats what this is) as it will make the finish flat and lifeless....ooops,already sanded a bit of the top !! 

again, any comments would be cool,, i'd like to keep posting pics of the progress !


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## mainzy (Mar 8, 2008)

I don't think its tiger maple but it looks like some jungle spiecies for sure. Is it a solid top or veneir. If it is venier it will have 1/4 inch strips of wood around the edges. If it is solid wood you could sand no prob. if It is venier you have to be careful not to sand through.

The drawer fronts are more likely to be solid wood.


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## steck (May 7, 2008)

mainzy said:


> I don't think its tiger maple......



i was actually starting to think the same thing, as all the pics of tiger maple i've been seeing, dont have that much,,,well,,,'tigering' striping !:laughing:


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## MrRodeoCC (Mar 15, 2008)

Quarter sawn oak also has stripping in it and it can be beautiful as well. I have a piece of furniture we brought back from England that was so dark you couldn't see through the finish, but when we stripped it down, WOW its beautiful. I've been in love with quarter sawn oak ever since. Be very careful sanding that top, I see a book matched grain pattern meaning it is either a solid top glued together but more than likely a veneered top. Those recessed panels in the sides are probably veneered as well. that could be a beautiful piece when you're done, take your time!!


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## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

steck said:


> Google is awesome, as i learned this is '*tiger maple'* or *curly maple*....you can see why its called "tiger"


Did you Google Image Search "curly maple" ? The 8th picture , currently, on the first page sure looks awful familiar to me :laughing:. (do the search to humor me). What you have there is what was called "tiger oak", very pretty as well. As was stated it could well be a thin veneer so be careful sanding. I have even seen faux tiger oak finish (painted/printed on a lesser wood), looks like your stripper did not eat it so I don't think it's fake.
Should be a very pretty piece when you are done, wild what some people will paint over isn't it ?


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## steck (May 7, 2008)

Daren said:


> Did you Google Image Search "curly maple" ? The 8th picture , currently, on the first page sure looks awful familiar to me :laughing:. (do the search to humor me). What you have there is what was called "tiger oak", very pretty as well. As was stated it could well be a thin veneer so be careful sanding. I have even seen faux tiger oak finish (painted/printed on a lesser wood), looks like your stripper did not eat it so I don't think it's fake.
> Should be a very pretty piece when you are done, wild what some people will paint over isn't it ?


so i have tiger oak ! cool. thanks. nice to get this identified.

i actually did google image of curly maple and tiger maple !! 

the actual top piece i believe is solid,,,,doesnt appear to be any veneer on top or sides of top either...

does anyone else see the last two pictures or are they not showin up!

i be back with more pics..with my progress.


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## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

steck said:


> does anyone else see the last two pictures or are they not showin up!
> 
> i be back with more pics..with my progress.


Not showing up, that is the reason we like to post pictures _in_ our post. Here is a thread about it http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/showthread.php?t=4386


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## steck (May 7, 2008)

thanks guys for the comments. white quarter sawn oak it is ! and sometimes called 'tiger oak'. cool stuff i'm learning.


now, if i could, what stain would y'all recommend to really bring out that graining..or 'figuring' if thats what its called !!


"on the first page sure looks awful familiar to me :laughing:. (do the search to humor me)." - YEAH,,, haha, thought that looked familiar !


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## jerry (Nov 1, 2006)

I would not use stain of any kind. Depending on use,either shellac or varnish -not polyurethane varnish.

Regards

Jerry


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## steck (May 7, 2008)

Daren said:


> I have even seen faux tiger oak finish (painted/printed on a lesser wood), looks like your stripper did not eat it so I don't think it's fake.



we have a winner ! its a fake! 

faux tiger oak finish it is...i thought it was too good to be true (that amount of grain), nonetheless, its a solid maple (i'm guessing - back to maple) dressor, which i have room for. 

i sanded the top, very early in all this, and couldnt understand where all that graining went when it was down to the bare wood,,,so i just stained a portion of the sanded part...and, it is regular sawn wood.

who knew ?? i didnt have the knowledge, skills and abilities to refinish that surface anyway, after taking two layers of white paint off.

they say it was a common process back in the 1920's to do this on maple, but never on oak...so they say ??

nonetheless, it looks like they had the fake process 'down pat' - as seen in the last picture,, all the graining lined up, even on the raised panels...

kind of a let down, but i shouldnt have got all that excited over it all in the 1st place :laughing:

i'll try to get a pic up.


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## frankp (Oct 29, 2007)

Steck,

For what it's worth, there's no issue sanding figured woods. You just have to make sure you get all the dust residue off of them. I use a slightly damp rag and then let it air dry. Repeat it a few times until you don't get any dust and you will have a beautiful finished piece that feels as soft as silk. I made a curly maple table with high figuring and sanded to 600 grit. It took 4 or 5 runs with the damp rag to get everything clean, but once it was dry the figure shows up beautifully under the varnish. No "dulling" at all that I can see.

One other thing, I used a random orbital sander for that particular piece, which helps prevent some of the more obvious dulling.


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## Aaronmcc (Apr 12, 2008)

Looks like your parents might want it back. =-)


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## KJWoodworking (Feb 15, 2008)

Fake grain sux!!!

I went to a habitat for humanity store and found an old dresser that needed a lot of tlc. It was past dirty, broken drawers, and the mirror supports were cut of uneven with no mirror in site.

I found a paper towel and wiped a spot to see the most beautiful quarter sawn oak. Well it was going to be as soon as I refinished.

I went quickly to pay for it before someone else snatched it up.

I get it home and start stripping my new find in visioning how it was going to look when I sprayed the last coat of lacquer on it.

Well I stripped it right down through the fake oak grain right to the pine it was made of!

I could not believe it. I have worked with furniture for years and never saw a piece like this.

What the heck?
Needles to say I won't be fooled again.


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## steck (May 7, 2008)

KJWoodworking said:


> Fake grain sux!!!....What the heck?
> Needles to say I won't be fooled again.



thanks for the comments !

that is exactly how i felt too.

and the fake grain crap, whatever it is, is a real PITA to get off too ! 

i'm already thinkin of just scrapping this project. 

talk about 'rainin on the parade'.


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