When it comes to achieving a high quality wood finish at home, there are a few rules you need to follow. For example, cherry and maple don’t stain evenly. Wood can be prepared differently but the most common way is to use a sander. Dye stains are useful because they completely dissolve in liquid and can soak into the cells of wood which helps color them evenly. When it comes to these dye stains, there are three kinds which are water based, alcohol based and oil based. Water based dye stains come in the most variety of colors, they don’t fade as much in bright lights and they are pretty cheap.
Key Takeaways:
- Cherry wood and maple wood don’t stain evenly. Most finishers try to stain cherry using pigment stains because the end grain soaks up the pigment.
- There are many wood preparation techniques including using different types of sandpaper and also using a sanding block as well. Power sanders can be used too.
- To get away from the uneven pigment stain issue you can use a dye stain. Dye stains are dissolved in liquid and can soak into the cells of wood.
“The only way to achieve a true deep red cherry color without any chance of the wood becoming too dark is to let it darken naturally.”
