Thanks for the advice, everyone.
One more question - if I stain these and don't like the result, then I can prime and paint over the stain without problems, correct?
If so, then perhaps I haven't anything to lose by trying to stain first, probably using a spray toner approach.
I only had 2 cabinets to stain, but I am currently working on a similar described color with maple cabinets as well. I did about 15 different samples and landed at: Rubio Monocoat Precolor stain “Vintage Brown” and then finished with Rubio Monocoat 2C in “Dark Oak”. This ended up being the combination my wife like with the other colors in our kitchen.
I would clear coat them if you’re not painting, unless you don’t mind the blotchiness. You can maybe even it out a bit flooding it with solvent before putting on dark tung oil or whatever you’re using. Just make sure to experiment on the test pieces first.
And obviously take off the doors and drawer fronts to finish, don’t try to do that in place.
Paint them 😂 seriously, though- a gel stain will give even color across the whole set, or spraying a tinted clear coat (shader/toner) to get even color. Wipe-on stain will most likely not go well.
You are going to have trouble staining these. That's paint-grade maple with uneven coloring in the frames. The panels are veneered plywood. It will all take stain unevenly and leave you with lots of color variation on the end product.
My best advice if you don't have experience staining is don't stain these
Second best advice is to hire someone who does have experience staining
Third best advice is to test your process on hardwood pieces with color variation like these AND veneer to compare results. And then, if you think it's close enough to go for it, to accept ahead of time that it may not come out looking like you want it to
I’m just a DIY homeowner like you. The only thing I can add is to use good products. Ive had good luck with General Finishes stains and sealers and really problematic projects with stuff I got from the big box stores.
Use that scrap and sand down the material with the same procedure the furniture maker used when building the boxes (grit progression, water popping, etc), then start testing out different finishes you find to see what you like. Repeat until you find your desired finish and look, then apply to the back of a cabinet door first, to make sure it matches your test pieces.
Do not start applying any finish directly to this constructed and installed cabinets until you’re happy with your test results. The last thing you want to be doing is sanding the cabinets in your home to try and remove an attempt at finishing them that failed. Stains for finishing are really a trial and error process where you find out what you do and don’t like; figuring that out on those sample pieces is critical
Thanks for the advice, everyone. One more question - if I stain these and don't like the result, then I can prime and paint over the stain without problems, correct? If so, then perhaps I haven't anything to lose by trying to stain first, probably using a spray toner approach.
I only had 2 cabinets to stain, but I am currently working on a similar described color with maple cabinets as well. I did about 15 different samples and landed at: Rubio Monocoat Precolor stain “Vintage Brown” and then finished with Rubio Monocoat 2C in “Dark Oak”. This ended up being the combination my wife like with the other colors in our kitchen.
The grain is not matched with stain in mind. This is really paint grade wood. These cabinets will look very nice painted.
Tinted clear coat is the way to go. Staining maple is a nightmare.
Agreed… NIGHTMARE Every single scratch, grain direction and figure looking a completely different colour…
I would clear coat them if you’re not painting, unless you don’t mind the blotchiness. You can maybe even it out a bit flooding it with solvent before putting on dark tung oil or whatever you’re using. Just make sure to experiment on the test pieces first. And obviously take off the doors and drawer fronts to finish, don’t try to do that in place.
Give it a wash coat first, or go with a toner and then stain. Water based needs to be conditioned first
Paint them 😂 seriously, though- a gel stain will give even color across the whole set, or spraying a tinted clear coat (shader/toner) to get even color. Wipe-on stain will most likely not go well.
User name checks out. Now I know now not to use wipe on stain, thank you. It wasn’t fun FYI
I agree I’ve stained maple in the past no matter what you do it will look patchy 👍🏻
You are going to have trouble staining these. That's paint-grade maple with uneven coloring in the frames. The panels are veneered plywood. It will all take stain unevenly and leave you with lots of color variation on the end product. My best advice if you don't have experience staining is don't stain these Second best advice is to hire someone who does have experience staining Third best advice is to test your process on hardwood pieces with color variation like these AND veneer to compare results. And then, if you think it's close enough to go for it, to accept ahead of time that it may not come out looking like you want it to
I’m just a DIY homeowner like you. The only thing I can add is to use good products. Ive had good luck with General Finishes stains and sealers and really problematic projects with stuff I got from the big box stores.
Use that scrap and sand down the material with the same procedure the furniture maker used when building the boxes (grit progression, water popping, etc), then start testing out different finishes you find to see what you like. Repeat until you find your desired finish and look, then apply to the back of a cabinet door first, to make sure it matches your test pieces. Do not start applying any finish directly to this constructed and installed cabinets until you’re happy with your test results. The last thing you want to be doing is sanding the cabinets in your home to try and remove an attempt at finishing them that failed. Stains for finishing are really a trial and error process where you find out what you do and don’t like; figuring that out on those sample pieces is critical