I plan to use Water base analine dye on Maple. Sand to 180 grit or scrape then wet,dry,sand to 220 grit or scrape. My question is do I want to use wood conditioner before applying dye. With oil stains I found a more even color using conditioner. A sample doesnt always tell the anwswer.On top I plan to brush Rockhard Varnish which I have also never used and would appreciate any words of wisdom. Thanks in advance
Ray replied: The WB stain works great on maple. You have the right idea of wetting then resanding.
You might also want to consider Boiled Linseed Oil after the stain. I tried this and the results are simply amazing. I applied the BLO with
220 wet-dry sandpaper. You have top put on a liberal amount of the BLO and use a light touch because the stain does not penetrate very deep. Wipe it off across the grain and let dry for several days. I ended up doing two coats of BLO before the varnish. Even the plain maple I got from the Borg looked great after doing this. Now if I could get the varnish applied without any drips...
I had to resand it all because I tried applying the varnish in a dimly lit basement over the winter and ended up with runs. Any tips on applying varnish? I tried a cotton rag and a foam brush and didn't like either. Should I thin out the varnish before applying?