This free-standing shelving unit was built with maple plywood and maple edge banding for the shelves and construction lumber 2x4s for the legs. A lot of people will tell you that maple is difficult to get a decent look when staining dark – and they are right. Maple is prized for its fine, tight grain and smooth surface, but those same qualities make it notoriously difficult to stain dark. Unlike open-grained woods such as oak, maple absorbs stain unevenly, creating blotches and streaks instead of a rich, uniform color. Its dense fibers resist deep penetration, so pigments tend to sit on the surface rather than soaking in, leading to a muddy or patchy appearance.

To me, using the right products and following a consistent process is key to getting a dark finish on maple. What I did for this project was start wood dye, specifically Transtint Dark Walnut. I used a fairly high ratio of dye to water and made certain to give the entire surface a good coating using a foam brush. After the dye dried for a few days, the maple has a good dark color, but I find it looks like it also has a deep purple tint to it. That is when I follow-up with a dark walnut Minwax stain. Because the wood has already been darkened via the dye, I’m not relying on the stain to darken it too. I’m just using it to even the color out to a deep, dark brown. I used the same stain on the legs to get them to match and then applied a few coats of polyurethane to the entire piece to provide a durable protective surface.

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