How do you like to finish maple?
#6
Question 
I recently discovered (and love!) shellac.  I particularly love using it on cherry and walnut.  I tried it on maple the other day and was a bit...underwhelmed.  I'm using blonde shellac.

I have some spray lacquer I just bought, but haven't given it a try yet.  I enjoy using BLO, but not on maple, because it's often splotchy.

Any advice?  Most of the stuff I build is pretty small, boxes mainly.
Semper fi,
Brad

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#7
maple is tough one - because it is so dense and grain swirly (?) it is very erratic about absorption. i use a 1# cut of shellac as a wash coat - hoping that the dna will carry the shellac into the wood - at times will use 2 or 3 of these wash coats with some light sanding in between. after that dries well i pad in a few coats of 2# coats - then spray with lacquer.
this seems to help the final finish coat be more uniform.
hope this helps
jerry
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#8
One person's splotch is another person's grain (I guess), so I like BLO on maple. But I also like dyes which give a uniform color on it when needed. You do need to be careful top coating dyes. Most are diluted with water (some with alcohol, some with either) and trying to brush a waterborne (or shellac on the alcohol diluent type) can really screw things up. Oil based finishes go on just fine, the others are best sprayed.
I started with absolutely nothing. Now, thanks to years of hard work, careful planning, and perseverance, I find I still have most of it left.
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#9
(07-05-2018, 08:36 AM)®smpr_fi_mac® Wrote: I recently discovered (and love!) shellac.  I particularly love using it on cherry and walnut.  I tried it on maple the other day and was a bit...underwhelmed.  I'm using blonde shellac.

I have some spray lacquer I just bought, but haven't given it a try yet.  I enjoy using BLO, but not on maple, because it's often splotchy.

Any advice?  Most of the stuff I build is pretty small, boxes mainly.

You might consider Arm-R-Seal.  This is semi-gloss on curly maple:

[Image: jO6zFC_E4VtVPMnIAtSza9gdmiEtZMkS5sKrvET-...35-h626-no]




John
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#10
(07-08-2018, 09:12 AM)jteneyck Wrote: You might consider Arm-R-Seal.  This is semi-gloss on curly maple:

[Image: jO6zFC_E4VtVPMnIAtSza9gdmiEtZMkS5sKrvET-...35-h626-no]




John

i second the arm-r-seal suggestion.  typically i finish maple one of two ways, depending on the piece - either i spray it with a good clear acrylic, two or three coats depending on the product, or i do a sealcoat of shellac and then arm-r-seal.  both look great - the acrylic goes on absolutely clear, pops the grain but won't impart color, whereas the shellac/arm-r-seal absolutely imparts a medium amber color.  pops the grain like mad, feels and looks fantastic.  

hard to go wrong either way.  if i'm building casework drawers, i spray them with clear.  if i'm building a curly maple vanity, i'll use the shellac/arm-r-seal as i find it to be a bit more refined and beautiful.
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