How to Finish Curly Maple with Tom McLaughlin 

Thank you, the beautiful wood is always a pleasure to work with 👍

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! 👍😎

Thanks, hope you have a good experience with it! 👍

I like it, recently did a little demo using it👍 Ol' Recipe Maple Finish ru-vid.comBvACZcU9lMo?feature=share

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! 👍

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! 👍👍

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.

Glad you liked it!

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: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Yx8vEPpuKj8.html

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! 👍

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!

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

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

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?

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.

Awesome, thanks for watching! 👍😎

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!

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

Sure, stay tuned, and thanks for watching!

Todd Weller Thanks Todd, so glad you enjoyed it! Tom

Thank you John! 👍

Bill Keller Always good to hear from you Bill, glad you liked it, Thank you!! Tom

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!

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

Awesome, thanks!

Glad you enjoyed, thanks! And I will keep in mind your interest 👍

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

Yeah, I agree Jesse, I think I’d spray something like those shutters with some tinted finish!

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!😎👍

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! 👍😎

Michael Tracy My pleasure Michael, glad you enjoyed it, thank you! Tom

Lydia Flower Thank you so much, glad you enjoyed it! Tom

Thanks Bob! 👍

My pleasure Gary, thanks for the thumbs up!

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!

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.

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

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.

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

Rob Robertson Glad you found it useful Rob!

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! 👍

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!

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!

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

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.

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

Glad you liked it Don, hope it helps you create some great finishes!

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 RU-vid videos appear sometime then and I’ll check out the TV show!

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?

Most any will work, I like Wood finishing enterprises

Robert Brennan Thanks Robert, making them is my pleasure, glad you liked it. Tom

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.