How to Finish Curly Maple with Tom McLaughlin
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 พ.ย. 2024
- In this video, career fine furniture maker Tom McLaughlin will describe step by step techniques for finishing curly maple. The first will be how to apply a natural varnish finish, and the second method presented will be how to apply an antiqued finish on curly maple.
What an wonderfull way of staining. Its nice you take the time to explain the step by step procedure.
For me, youre an artist.
Thank for sharing.
Cheers Ronald
Thank you, the beautiful wood is always a pleasure to work with 👍
I'm future wood worker, lol.. I've been collecting beautiful figured slabs of all types for many years, with the idea that some day my skill will reach the point in which I can utilize 20+ years, of weekly collected, figured wood. At this point collecting figured grians has kind of become the hobby. I'm your typical Dad, with all of these future hobbies planned, but too tired to commit to anything. This is fantastic information, and I whish I would have stumbled across this knowledge years ago.
Thanks Tom, I know what you mean. I have “squirreled away” lots of nice pieces that I’m planning to get to one of these days! 😎 I’m glad you enjoyed the video, thanks for watching! 👍
Hey Tom I’ve been enjoying a number of your vids including a “deep dive” on that exquisite lily pad table. I’ve found TH-cam such a mixed bag (understatement!) and your channel is one of the relatively few I’ve found where all the info is top notch and professional. I was looking for good information on finishing a dining room table and there were so many videos out there with a “variety” of approaches. Then you read the comments and everyone is like “Amazing video” or “best thing I’ve ever seen” etc. with yours I feel like this guy really knows what he’s doing. And you take the time to really teach and explain which is very generous! So thanks again.
Thanks, that really means a lot to me! Especially since I enjoy making the videos and sharing the experience with people like you. After all the years making custom furniture, it’s a pleasure to shift gears by passing it on in this format. Thank you so much and for watching! 👍😎
I am completely new to this and have been looking for a tutorial that would help me in staining and finishing the guitar necks I am hand carving from curly maple for my CBG projects.
I've been through at least 15-20 other videos on this topic. This video, by far, has been the most helpful and insightful.
Thank you so much for sharing this!
Sorry I missed seeing this comment earlier as I would have responded, glad that you found what you learned in the video beneficial! Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment.
I just tried something and it worked wonderfully.
I made a vinegar/stell wool stain. Wired on the maple and sanded the lighter areas down , then amber aniline dye , sanded back , burnished surfaces, and boiled linseed oil. Really nice contrast. I have some amber shellac and wax to finish up
Sounds beautiful! 👍
@EpicWoodworking thanks! I'm not sure how many coats of blo to put on. I would like to do a couple, but im concerned about shellac adhesion.. any thoughts?
Great tutorial, especially on the glaze. I just build a hard maple Moxon vise and I think I will hit it with a glaze, you sure made it look easy to get a warm finish....
Thanks, hope you have a good experience with it! 👍
Tom, Thank you for the finishing lesson, I will be trying this in the future. My wife is the master of this PC, this is Don
Glad you liked it Don, hope it helps you create some great finishes!
Go to the dollar store. Get several bags of glass marbles. Drop them in your finish containers to keep them "to the top" each time you use them. When the product is gone, just wash off the marbles with the correct solvent for the product they were in.
Another great video. Thank you. I have always wondered about that glazing step.
Four years later and still an awesome timeless lesson on creating great finishes. I have used similar steps to create a more antigued look on a cherry cabinet I made. One question please, in the approach that I used it called for applying boiled linseed oil over the dye. Any thoughts in that approach, plusses or minuses and why you chose the approach you did. Thank you so very much for keeping the craft of woodworking alive.
Thanks Jeff, nice of you to say. The boiled linseed oil is fine too. It is a penetrating finish, like the oil varnish I used on the natural finished sample. Either way, it seals in the dye and greater absorption leads to more enhanced grain “pop” on figures woods.
I don’t know if you saw it already, but if not, you might enjoy a livestream I just did this past Thursday night on additional approaches to finishing curly maple. I’ll attach the link, but keep in mind it was recorded live so it has a more conversational feel and less clipped like an edited video which some prefer. Thanks again, here’s the link: th-cam.com/video/Yx8vEPpuKj8/w-d-xo.html
Tom,Another great video. Really appreciate the tips and techniques you provide. Can't wait to try this one.Bill Keller
Bill Keller Always good to hear from you Bill, glad you liked it, Thank you!!
Tom
This video was AWESOME. What an incredible amount of information and presented really well. I'm subscribed. Thanks!
SuburbanHobbyist Thank you so much, I’m glad you enjoyed it!
I will try to post as I can, but you might be interested to know I am working now on a new project as host of a PBS Woodworking show you might have available in your area, coming in April. Here’s the promo video wgbh.cimediacloud.com/r/mOKDww
That doesn't surprise me at all. While I was watching this video I kept thinking, this guy is a natural and it's like watching a woodworking show on TV. Very cool and congrats!
What a nice lesson for beginners! Thank you very much indeed!
Lydia Flower Thank you so much, glad you enjoyed it! Tom
I want to learn more on finishing thank you Tom for the lesson.
Sure, stay tuned, and thanks for watching!
Fantastic video, thank you! Can't wait to try it myself.
Awesome, thanks for watching! 👍😎
I loved this! I'm going to try it very shortly. Thanks for sharing it.
Awesome, thanks!
Wow what a awesome video! It looks spectacular!
Todd Weller Thanks Todd, so glad you enjoyed it! Tom
Great video Tom. It opens up a lot of possibilities for finishing. I messaged you on your website to see if you know someone who would do a one time one-on-one finishing consultation for a fee.
Tom, What would you do if you wanted to just leave the maple a more amber color but still wanted to accentuate the figure?
Excellent video, I hope to put some of these techniques to use in an upcoming guitar build. Thanks!
Great, thanks, glad you enjoyed it! Hope your guitar build goes well...I’m about to make an electric guitar myself but with a mahogany body.
fantastic video I'm so glad i found your channel!!! i will also be looming into your real time videos!!
April & Tim MacMurtrie That's great, I'm glad you found me too :) And hope to keep releasing videos you will find equally helpful. If interested, the best place to get the latest info we release is our website, epicwoodworking.com
Thanks again! Tom
Great video. So is aniline dye considered a toner? I’ve heard professionals use toners a lot but don’t have any experience with them.
Excellent stuff Tom, thanks for sharing 😄👍
My pleasure Gary, thanks for the thumbs up!
Thanks! This is gonna work wonders on my set up!
It´s really EPIC !!! great tutorial !!
Hi Tom- really appreciate your content. If I were finishing a curly maple VENEERED panel, would I still do the water pop to do a sanding or not? Just curious as to whether this would affect the veneer in any way versus solid lumber- or maybe I should be avoiding water-based all together and going with an alcohol-based or oil-based finish? Thanks again!
That's a good question. I have not done side by side analysis of the difference between using water- or alcohol-based, in this case. Directly on the wood, I would choose one of those two over the oil-based. My initial reaction is you will be fine either way, but my preference would be to start with the water and don't overly soak it. It takes a lot of saturation to have any negative effect on the glue laye below. If you have both kinds of finish, water- and alcohol-based, you can do a small comparison on a test piece and see what you think. I'd be curious to hear what you discover. Thanks for following along!
Tom where is your Television show if you have one , Im interested in some of your work. Thank you God bless.
Thoughts about Aqua Fortis, or Ferric Nitrate (HNO3), traditional curly maple gun stock "reactive stain" to bring out figures in curly and or birds eye maple?
I like it, recently did a little demo using it👍
Ol' Recipe Maple Finish
th-cam.com/users/liveBvACZcU9lMo?feature=share
Hi Tom, Thanks for this video. I am looking to duplicate this finish on a maple hope chest for my daughter. However, the Behlen glaze stains (burnt umber and van dyke brown) are no longer available that I can find. I see Mohawk bought the product line but I cannot find the equivalent. Can you suggest a substitute? I appreciate it. John
Yes John, your right, since this video Mohawk discontinued marketing the Behlen line. Now, the Mohawk Burnt Umber glaze is what you want. It is a little browner than the Behlens was but you still can add Mohawk VanDyke Brown glaze to it if you find you want more brown in it. Hope that helps! 👍
Hi Tom, Thanks as I was able to find the Mohawk replacement and I am now practicing on curly maple. Another question if you don’t mind. I used a Moser water-based stain on maple but found the stain does not absorb into Famowood wood filler that I used in some thin gaps on my box finger joints. I now have ugly white lines on colonial maple. I have not used shellac yet but worry that shellac and then Mohawk glaze stain will leave these filler marks as white lines. Any suggestions on how to handle to hide these filler marks and when during staining/finishing process? Thanks in advance as I am watching many of your videos and learn each time. John
I have a gun stock that is curly maple. I notice that (either because of the finish that was used, or because curly maple is a very soft wood), the stock is very susceptible to dings and dents. I am wondering if it is the wood itself or if it is because of the finish applied to the gun stock? Also, is there anything that can be done to toughen up the stock and make it less susceptible to dinging and denting?
Excellent!!! Thank you!!
Glad you liked it!
Thanks Tom - Love this video
Thank you John! 👍
Will this technique work with normal non-figured maple, or will it have little benefit?
Chris X Yes Chris, you can use this same technique to achieve a similar color, but the figure and grain enhanced in the wood will only be as good as the wood itself brings to the equation. So in this case, the curly stripes of rolling grain are pronounced.
Hope that helps! Thanks, Tom
WONDERFUL VIDEO LESSON!Thank you very much!!!
What did you mean by 3 coats of Waterlox? How long did you wait between coats? Thanks.
Waterlox is the brand of tung oil varnish. It says how long to wait on the can but I usually put one coat a day unless drying conditions are very good, and I’m putting it on thinner. You can thin it a bit with mineral spirits to make it easier to wipe and brush on. I usually thin by adding 10-20% mineral spirits. Hope that helps, and thanks for watching! 👍
Wow! Very informative video. thanks. Would like to know steps for tabletop applications (no shellac).
Glad you enjoyed, thanks! And I will keep in mind your interest 👍
I've just discovered your vids, Tom. Amazing! Awesome! Thank you. I learned so much. I'd also like to take a deeper dive into the differences between various kinds of stain (dye, gel, glazing, oil, etc.) and when and why each type is used. Do you have a vid on this topic? or know of another resource?
Yes, if you like reference books, my favorite which breaks down the subject we quite well is “Understanding Wood Finishing” by Bob Flexner. And I do have a video available on our website covering an overview of wood finishing where I do go into the areas you described. The video is 5 hrs long and here’s the link if you’re interested: www.epicwoodworking.com/epic-store/#!/Toms-Favorite-Finishing-Methods/p/152261785/category=15418694
Hope that helps! All the best, Tom
@@EpicWoodworking Thanks, Tom. I do like ref books and, lo and behold, UPS just delivered Flexner's book to my door! I've thumbed through once or twice and it does look good. Cannot wait to do a deep dive. Thanks again.
Can you add a list of the materials used to your video description
when after sanding the final grit and wet the wood, the wood will tend to lay back down when it dries, defeating the purpose of wetting it. I've found it best to sand after allowing the grain to rise and the wood is still damp, but as you say not aggresively. I like to use a finer grit of sand paper for the wet sanding(300-320).
That’s great if it works for you. In my experience, I have not found the wood fibers to ever lay back down after drying, and they actually stand up like fuzz above the surface making them easy to sand off lightly. And yes, I like using 320 as well, worn 220 if that’s all I have. Thanks for watching! Tom
@@EpicWoodworking depending on which wood, it tends to lay down as it dries. Yes some stays up, but mostly lays back down. But when you apply a finish, it will stand back up..
Ok, I must not be using those kinds of wood as it has always been more effective removing after drying. But whatever works best for you is the best method, so you might be on to something there. Thanks again!
thanks for this video and your time. I have a whole bunch of curly maple and i've taken some good pointers from you and other content producers. i have a question for you regarding using shellac over dye. I use a complicated process that involves two different colours of alcohol-based dye stain. the dark colour goes on, then i sand it off. then shellac over that. then a lighter colour. It really gives a great effect. However on my most recent project (a mahogany dresser), i found that when i wiped off some glue i also wiped off some of the stain, causing light streaks here and there. I would like to go over the whole case with shellac, which i also love, and hit the top with wiping varnish. HERE'S THE QUESTION: should i put some dye in the shellac, or just do touchups with the dye, and then shellac it? I have put many hours into this project and i don't want to screw it up. Thanks for your help. I'm on the other side of north america or i would try to get into one of your classes. Cheers!
scott Hi Scott,
I’m glad to hear you enjoyed the video, although sounds like you already have a lot of experience along these lines.
As you know, it’s difficult to give a good answer without actually seeing and being closer to the piece as you are. I’m guessing some of the stain came off when wiping the glue with water… before the shellac went on as a sealer.
In a case like that, there are two ways you can go about it, you can try to touch up the light spots and blend which you mentioned, or you can wipe down the larger immediate area, or whole piece, bringing everything back to a lighter stain just to match spots you saw color missing. Then you can reapply you’re stain, or diluted version of your stain, to the whole piece.
If you try to color the immediate area, I like to use something I feel I have a lot of control over. That usually means using a diluted mix of the previous color and applying it in a way you can feather it in to create a blend. Given you are right there, and are able to see the piece, you can decide whether tinting stain and spraying, or misting, on color will work, or tinting shellac and touching up the area in the successive coats.
Hope that helps!
Thanks again,
Tom
Epic Woodworking thanks. I think going over it all again with the top color is going to be my best option. I was surprised that the color came off After shellac. However, that was just a light seal coat, and the alcohol based dye overtop of that must have interfered. Live and learn!
Thanks again for your input. It's guys like you who help the rest of us become more successful.
I love this finish but I have an antique cedar chest and the veneer panels on it go in all different directions. Any advice? Sanding in different direction is almost impossible.
Thank you! Using 320 or finer sandpaper won’t tear up the cross grain when sanding as the courser will. Try it on a discrete area first and see how it works for you. And once you have finish on the surface, like a coat or two of shellac, you’re actually just sanding the finish layer, so grain direction is not an issue. Hope that makes sense and is helpful! Thanks for watching! 👍😎
Tom, I love this look! I am making a liquor cabinet right now and I know you mentioned it in the video but what exactly would you use as far as a varnish goes in place of the shellac. Thanks for the video!
Mike Williams I like to use Waterlox for a varnish. It’s not cheap, but if you can keep oxygen out of the storage container it should last a while. The satin sheen rubs out really well, while the original is brighter medium sheen. Another nice varnish is these made by General Finishes. Hope that helps! Thanks, Tom
@@EpicWoodworking to clarify your answer on how to get the antiqued effect on liquor cabinet/table top in my case: tone with 2 coats analine dye, seal with shellac, effects layer with glazing stain, then rather than shellac; finish waterlox satin rubbed out finish, no briwax top layer?
great look great video. However the thought of doing every surface of my kitchen cabinets is a little overwhelming.
jason oftel Thanks Jason! Sorry I can't be of more help with your kitchen cabinets :). Tom
Epic Woodworking not a problem. I am going to use danish oil and wax. Sand in the oil many coats. let it cure and wax them. it's all. we to me the test board looked nice.
jason oftel that sounds like a great plan, hope it goes well for you!
Hi Tom, Thanks as I was able to find the Mohawk replacement and I am now practicing on curly maple. Another question if you don’t mind. I used a Moser water-based stain on maple but found the stain does not absorb into Famowood wood filler that I used in some thin gaps on my box finger joints. I now have ugly white lines on colonial maple. I have not used shellac yet but worry that shellac and then Mohawk glaze stain will leave these filler marks as white lines. Any suggestions on how to handle to hide these filler marks and when during staining/finishing process? Thanks in advance as I am watching many of your videos and learn each time. John
Oh yeah, that is frustrating. I have several approaches to “hide my issues” like those 😎 Colored touch up markers can work well in some situations, but I prefer using those after a wash coat of shellac so I have more control of the depth of the color since it can’t absorb straight into the wood. Another method is mixing your own color and applying with an artist brush. Transtint or some other kind of alcohol dye is effective when mixed in alcohol alone or thinned shellac.
I hope that helps!
Tom
I'm a bit confused. I thought stains require a top coat or is the oil in this product(Behlens) a curing oil like linseed. Also will the solvent in the Briwax dissolve a lacquer finish. I think I had a mishap with Briwax on a lacquer finish years ago. Thanks for sharingyour knowledge.
How to seal maple keeping it as white as possible?
Very good information. Thank You Very Much.
Michael Tracy My pleasure Michael, glad you enjoyed it, thank you! Tom
Is it possible to add pigment to a food-safe oil to finish a cutting board? I have some figured/tiger maple and I need to match that exact color. Your videos are fantastic!
Good question, but I’m not sure given it is subject to the “chemical” makeup of the particular brand of pigment. Since most pigment is natural, and actually very fine ground up sediment, like clay or “dirt”, i would guess it’s okay to ingest, but would I want too? 😎 Come to think of it I have only ever seen natural non-pigmented as food safe finishes. But you could always use a natural dye stain like concentrated tea...which I have done on some curly maple rolling pins in the past.
So glad you enjoyed it, thanks for watching!😎👍
Great tutorial. I am having problems finding the Behlen products. Can you recommend a provider? Many thanks...
Hey Doug,
The Behlen line of products has been discontinued but the same glaze is available under the Mohawk brand...in fact the Burnt Umber Glaze is better (browner from the start so no need to alter it). I think you will easily find it available with an online search.
Hope that helps,
Tom
Thanks a million, Tom! I was so enamored with your video I took notes & already ordered the JE Moser's aniline. Will order the Mohawk now. Should I expect the same creamy texture you discussed in the video? Cheers!
Doug
@@EpicWoodworking
Thanks so much Tom, most helpful!
Rob Robertson Glad you found it useful Rob!
How do I get dark curly maple to pop darker and look almost wet?
I have read that there is no need to sand or steel wool between coats of waterlox. It says so right on their website. It can remove the waterlox that has began to fill the pores in hardwoods and make the finish feel uneven and bumpy. Dont do anything between coats. The only time waterlox suggests a light steel wool is between the second to last and last coat if at all.
Brandon Mingerink Thanks Brandon, the type of sanding I do is light, to remove the dust nibs of the previous coat, which in my experience if I leave them the finish will be bumpy. On the Waterlox Satin can it says “sanding is not necessary for adhesion purposes but can be done for aesthetic reasons”. That’s interesting to me because with so many reactive type varnish finishes sanding is recommended for adhesion, so good to know adhesion is not a concern. But I do prefer, and will continue to sand lightly for aesthetics, to remove dust nibs and to level heavier coats after brushing on. Thanks for the new info! Tom
Totally understand where you're coming from. I'll most likely use steel wool just before my last coat on my table top tonight and see how it turns out. Great video!
This is such gorgeous wood!
Great video
Thanks Bob! 👍
Great video, thank you!
I subscribed, hopefully there will be more videos in the future.
Maikel Versantvoort yes, thank you!! I have been making videos for a TV program you can see bits of at finewoodworking.tv and I will be posting more video here soon.
Epic Woodworking Cool, I’ll see your new TH-cam videos appear sometime then and I’ll check out the TV show!
I love your work Tom, Thanks
Robert Brennan Thanks Robert, making them is my pleasure, glad you liked it. Tom
I learned so much! Thank you!
Thanks Tom. Very good video. Instead of using Bri wax at the end could I spray pre-cat lacquer for durability?
Joe Feldmann Sure Joe, I actually do the same on horizontal Services like table tops. Of course you want to be sure to use something like seal coat, a refined blonde shellac that is waxless underneath. Thanks! Tom
Holy crap that’s a ton of work. Ha. I’m trying to figure out how I’m going to finish some maple plantation shutters I just milled. Not sure I’d ever be done if I had to do this on hundreds of louvres. Looks great though.
Yeah, I agree Jesse, I think I’d spray something like those shutters with some tinted finish!
Would you ever replace the glazing stain with a dye in the final coat of shellac to make it a toner ?
Sure, that is always an option to adjust and push the tone one way or another. However, spraying Shellac as a toner will not produce the same effects as the glaze. Nice to have both approaches in your bag of tricks whenever you might need them. Thanks for watching! 👍
Bloxygen ? Ever heard of it for preserving finishes and many other things including wine ?
Yes, thanks Louis, I have used it and have a can of it now. I thought I mentioned it during that video but must have forgotten. There are a few methods for preserving but nothing has worked better for me that making sure there is as little air as possible with the finish in the container. Thanks for watching!
I want to use oil based stain on a flamed maple top for a guitar.
I wanted the grain to be raised
how do i achieve that?
Raising the grain first with simple water, let it dry and then apply the oil based stain will help ?
Another question: the varathane pre stain is it a seller or not?
Zs Cools raising the grain is technically only necessary prior to using a water-based stain, although it can't hurt and will likely help a little before applying an oil base stain as well.
I'm assuming your goal is to enhance the flamed figure of the maple top, so you definitely do not want to use a pre-conditioner. Deeply penetrating stains are most effective to enhancing figured words like your flamed maple. And conditioners are like sealers, inhibiting the penetration of the stain into the wood grain.
I highly recommend doing a sample test on a cut off of you are flamed maple to be sure you get the results you are hoping for.
Good luck with your project! And thanks for your interest,
Tom
Thanks for sharing. Len
Tom Question,? I want to Flame Treat a couple of Raw Woden Maple Baseball Bats, for my Grandchildrens Room, Some say that Maple Wood will not take to Flame burning at all, What is your take may I ask.? Thanks for sharing love your videos etc.
Thanks for following my videos, and the question. Unfortunately I have not had any occasion to experiment with flame treating, although I have done quite a bit with texturing materials.
But my suspicion is they are more than likely right about the effects of Flame burning not being as successful on maple, since maple is such a dense closed grain wood. The porous open grain of Ash presents a more varied surface, which reacts with a strong contrast after flaming due to the open grain. I just looked at some flamed ash bats online and it’s the softer porous open grain portion of the growth rings that blackens from the treatment creating the contrast, so it is true maple will not react in that same way...but it will react in some way.
I would recommend just giving it a try on some scrap maple you turn and sand similarly to the bat...nothing to lose in giving it a test.
Hope that helps! Thanks again, Tom
Who,s dye stain are you using.
Most any will work, I like Wood finishing enterprises
You need to change the way your talkingin too the microphone because half the time I can tell you saying and the other half you're trying to talk a little low you need to raise your voice just a little bit but the video awesome video keep up the great work
Thanks Derek,
Yeah, we were made aware of this a few times, and discovered we needed to update our microphones, which we just did a month or two ago. That finishing video is from a year and a half back. Check out some of the latest and see if you notice the sound improvements. By the way, if you’re signed up on our epicwoodworking.com mailing list, you will be kept up to date on all our new releases and inside info…like when we get new microphones😎. Thank you for watching, we sure appreciate you being there! 👍👍
I appreciate the info but your vid keeps breaks up on the important parts of application
Thomas Helm That’s weird, first we heard of that...can you be more specific about where, timing wise, the video is breaking up?
Thanks!
URL’s maple antiquing
Denatured alcohol damages one's optic nerves. Tom should be wearing gloves when handling these chemicals.
sdougreid I have never heard that before, I will look into it and be sure to take appropriate measures. Thanks!
Epic Woodworking yes, you don't want to get denatured alcohol in a small cut. It can get directly into your bloodstream that way and it's quite nasty. I always tell my customers to wear gloves when using it.
19:07 Bug poop in my M&Ms? O_o 19:30
The video is just too long.
mike o'neill Sorry man, I try with these videos to be more in depth without skipping steps. I’ll take that to heart and try to be faster. One place you will now be able to catch me going faster will be coming soon, check out this link...each episode a complete piece of furniture in twenty six minutes! www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171208005311/en
It should be longer. There is a lot to learn yet.