The way stains are matched for consumers or paint contractors usually follows this course: A piece of trim that is already stained and finished is brought in to the local paint store and with that, a piece of unfinished wood (sometimes the same wood species and sometimes not) and the request is made for a stain that will match the finished sample. I used General Finishes High Performance top coat in the flat sheen. When staining soft maple Kitchen doors and drawers from a millworks shop the painter applied a special walnut stain directly to the raw wood. I decided to buy new ones instead of refinishing the old ones because a) I'm lazy and b) I didn't like them anyway. Its funny how different grey can look on different mediums. I moved the table top to a safe spot and worked on painting the legs and base. It does flow with your living room decor very nicely, and I'll bet you're glad to see matching colors in there now. When I went to the local Rockler hardware store, they said I may have a problem with “blotchy” areas in Maple so preparing the wood is recommended. Be sure to do this in an area where it’s ok that the grounds pop around as they tend to make a real mess…lining the area with drop cloths helps. The only alternative at this point is to tone the wood with a stain or other coloring agent. Just look at the difference! A mason jar with … Wait a few minutes, then use a paper towel or shop towel to wipe off any excess. On woods with large, open … Classic Gray tends to be slightly blotchy so make sure to use pre-conditioner with this stain … Where might I find some pictures illustrating the use of winding sticks? General Finishes High Performance top coat. Don't go any higher than 150, or the grey wood stain won't be able to sink in properly. Note that water popping the wood will cause the stain … Sand each piece of wood. Repeat the process with the 120 and 150 grit sandpapers. You can still see the wood grain with one coat, but I'm guessing it would look more like paint with a second. This lovely French Chateau style Country Kitchen features the increasingly popular shades of grey. Speaking for myself, I never sand maple above 220 and rarely above 180 … but that in and of itself will not be a problem. Aw, thank you so much, Karen! It doesn't matter if some spots are thicker than others, just make sure everything is covered. When staining, first apply a pre-stain wood conditioner, then select stains lighter in color. Thank you so much, Lela! The nails or steel wool will have rusted. The Saman Urban Gray Stain has one of the most consistent coverages ever. It's difficult to turn warm-colored wood a cool tone while still allowing the grain to show through. If you want the weathered gray look, grab some maple for your next project! I would like some help! It didn't take too long since it was already halfway gone anyway! The colors shown are for reference purposes only. Is there a stain color we could mix with the gray to offset the pink tone? Don't scrub it off, just a light movement with the grain of the wood will do. Thanks. Read my full Terms of Use and Disclosures here. How do we prevent the cross cut problem and promote a uniform acceptance of the stain. I’d like to have the facing match the color of the maple cabinetry in our bathroom through which you enter the closet. I recommend Michael Dresdner’s New Wood Finishing Book (Taunton Press) for its discussion of the topic. It turned a weird shade of greenish grey that I'm not too fond of. Will the floors take on a pink tone? How do we prevent the cross cut problem and promote a uniform acceptance of the stain. The maple was the most interesting and the only wood to turn gray. Honestly, the entire thing was pretty embarrassing! The island is a stained maple and cabinets on the perimeter are painted in light grey with charcoal grey tones. You can also sign up for my email list below and get the latest post delivered to your inbox, plus exclusive access to my woodworking plans library! We’ve been wanting to do a wood/stain study for years now and ... a platform / platform bed and I have white oak grey pink floors and looking to contrast it with either a less grainy wood like natural Birch, Maple, and not White Oak, but may want to stain it with a semi glossed Charcoal Gray. When this solution is applied to wood, the iron acetate reacts with the natural tannins in the wood, producing various shades of brown, grey and black. When staining soft maple Kitchen doors and drawers from a millworks shop the painter applied a special walnut stain directly to the raw wood. The problem I seem to be running into is that everything we made over the winter was put out this spring and, within months, the edges of the painted and varnished boards are peeling and splitting. Decide which amount of wood stain sealer gives you the desired look. It's made of soybeans (is there nothing soybeans can't do?) With oak, that natural color is a gray tone. This looks so good! My dining table is made of maple (I think), and it turned out a true grey. Unfortunately, Weathered Oak stain didn’t work on the maple wood the same way it worked on oak. It will give you deep color, but may bring out characteristics in the wood grain that you want to minimize. But I'd still prefer the blue tint of the General Finishes stain to the Minwax grey stain I used on this IKEA desk hack. Now we're getting to the fun part! And the top matches the floors a little too well, so it all blends together and looks very blah. Then go over the wood surface with a shop vac to make sure all sawdust is removed. Do not seal in between. Shop Minwax Wood Finish Oil-Based Stain Silvered Gray Interior Stain (Quart) in the Interior Stains department at Lowe's.com. Mine was just the right color after one application! It is a very light gray green and you can see the wood under it bc it was a light coating. If you stain the top, you'll need a topcoat. I used the Minwax classic gray on pine. They have been reproduced using digital production techniques. This is exactly what I've been wanting to do to my dark dining table to give it some contrast to the medium dark floors. Preparing Wood For Stain: The 1 Method You Should Be Using But Probably Aren’t. Thank you! The stain did not take well on wood milled with the grain, and on cross cuts the stain soaked into the wood giving a dark black color. Wood Finish Oil-Based Penetrating Stain; Wood Finish Water-Based Penetrating Stain; Gel Stain; PolyShades® Design Series; Express Color™ Wood Finishing Cloths , The table looks fabulous. (If you used 1/4 cup of vinegar, add 1/4 cup of water.) Keep the sander in one area until the finish has been removed, then move slowly to the next. Now that I had the perfect grey stain on my tabletop and chairs, I needed to protect it. Start with a water-soluble dye stain (available at Rockler). I’ve tried several different colors and had the best results was a Gel stain. Maple is one of the most difficult woods to achieve a dark, uniform stain color on because it is a dense, closed grain wood and often absorbs stain very unevenly. Your Questions Answered. For a quick aging method, buy ready-made products to sun bleach wood, or stain it with a gray stain for the desired look. See more ideas about staining wood, redo furniture, gel stain. Let the bottle sit in a warm sunny area for at least 3 to 4 hours and then spray its contents onto the wood and allow to dry. Since maple is so dense, you need to open up the grain as much as possible. I love the transformation of your table and chairs, fabulous. Awesome post! As background, it’s easy to get the gray color in pre-finished maple or birch floors. There are two … Any info on the basics of staining would be helpful. Buy on Amazon . Wipe it off to leave an even layer. Will the floors take on a pink tone? How to Oxidize (Age) New Wood & Get A Vintage Look - YouTube Every single piece of wood took on a gray hue including the red oak. The key to getting good color and coverage with this grey wood stain is raw, light colored hardwood. The new chairs create a perfect set with their grey stained seats. The colors don't coordinate with our new decor at all. Use walnut lumber and you are way better off. Could I ask what color it is & the brand name ! Even my new DIY ottoman matches perfectly! For more help with staining, check out How to Stain Wood. I needed to remove that factory finish before I could match them to the grey wood stain of the tabletop. Our favorite natural wood stain. Colors that look promising on the can end up too light, too dark, too "weathered" or too brown. You can also see how these colors look on real furniture in this comparison of grey wood stain projects. There was an error submitting your subscription. My favorite gray wood stain is Sun bleached. The good news is that today, there are so many great colors to choose from when it comes to re-staining cabinets versus even five years ago. The chairs were a different story. This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. It will give you deep color, but may bring out characteristics in the wood grain that you want to minimize. Once you've scraped away as much as you can, mix some TSP (a degreaser) into a bucket of water. This is an important step and shouldn’t be passed over. Michael Dresdner: Try layered staining. To add an ashy or gray hue (to mimic sun fading), fill a spray bottle halfway with white vinegar. If you want to make a piece of maple stand out, you can use either oil or wood stain to finish the wood. Once cedar has turned gray, there is no natural way of going back. An authentic looking reclaimed wood look - for pennies! Fill the jar with the steel wool and vinegar, the measurements don't have to be precise. Pro tip: Some types of stain perform … I do LOVE that color of Grey !!!! Stains work in two different ways. I learned that the hard way, and the entire thing disintegrated! Applied the stain with a rag and wiped off the excess. This helps spread it out quickly. I did a test on a piece of pine and loved how it looked. Instructions Make sure your wood is properly prepared. Am I over sanding? Our dated dining table now has a fresh, modern look that coordinates perfectly with the rest of our living space. With maple wood… Because these woods are closed pored, they absorb the stains differently and some of the darker brown stains turn gray on maple and birch (see picture to the right). Would I need a topcoat after as well? . I have quite a few projects planned for the spring and summer and yes, a grey wood stain is something that I need for a few projects. But, like hard maple, birch wood does not absorb stain evenly and should not be stained with dark colored stains. I’ve seen the archive postings on Pigment vs. Dye stains which I will look into. First of all, soft maple and red maple are typically the same things. Do NOT use a foam brush! Spruce. http://diybydesign.blogspot.com. I have pinned this one for later as I am planning to revamp my dining table soon. Stain can be applied with a bristle brush, a foam brush, or a cloth. You can get my in-depth tutorial on how to refinish a table here, or keep reading for my brief overview. I have a gray table I bought from RH that got damaged from a nail polish remover. It goes on white but dries clear quickly. Trust me! I tried a couple small cans of gray stain and I felt they went on like paint. Now brush the grey stain over the entire top and sides. I have maple cabinets with a pink undertone. Prior to making the first application of dye stain, sand the wood with a medium-grit like 120. Any advice would be appreciated. Even though the tabletop is darker than before, it actually feels lighter in the space because of the white base. That’s definitley not what we wanted to go back to. Walnut aged with vinegar and steel wool. This allowed me to stain the sides and the small overhang underneath at the same time as the rest of the table. Maple is very tight-grained and doesn't always absorb stain evenly. Weathered oak is like a clear stain that brings out whatever color is already naturally in the wood. I have maple cabinets with a pink undertone. Thanks for the inspiration! Finishing maple can help emphasize the natural wood grain and boost the color of the wood. There are two ways to tackle this task: sanding and stripping. As I mentioned above, Spruce is another light-colored wood. Our favorite natural wood stain is not a stain … This is such an impressive look for those of us who don't want to go the traditional wood look for the table top. Good question! It tend to absorb stain unevenly which leads to a blotchy look. You're tutorial was nice and thorough and easy to follow too. You will find that the water-soluble dye opened up the pores, colored the wood, and made it more receptive to the second stain, which evened out the color. The stain did not take well on wood milled with the grain, and on cross cuts the stain soaked into the wood giving a dark black color. To do this, you need to remove all traces of the previous stain and finish. I’m not against enhancing the natural beauty of wood with subtle coloring. 4. Walnut is generally not stained or treated except with polyurethanes and lacquers, but here’s what happened with the solutions. and is safe to use indoors! Which also means the wood grains still show through the stain color. Now here's the great thing about gel stains . Leave it on for 10-15 minutes, then scrape off with a plastic putty knife. Your tutorial is excellent and I think I will follow suit and make some of my furniture like this..Thanks for the inspiration! I could attach a picture for you to look at. sandpaper; foam brush; lint free cloth; Instructions. It was so satisfying to see the stains and scratches disappear, leaving fresh, clean wood behind. This is an amazing outcome. No matter what you use on your wood, be sure to sand it first and seal it … I look forward to hearing from you Sincerely Annie . Lightly brush the top coat onto the surface of the table, being careful not to overbrush. A pigmented stain would have held its color better. Bare new wood to reclaimed looking finish in minutes - the how-to is easy. The color of the Varathane Weathered Gray stain varied widely depending on the wood species. While I understand your quest to match existing woodwork, this does offer me the opportunity to express my opinion (and you know what that’s worth!) I LOVE your work !! Then I add distilled water. Thank you! Pour some of the top coat onto a paper plate, and dip a wide foam brush into it. Thank you for sharing with us at #MMBH. The key to getting good color and coverage with this grey wood stain is raw, light colored hardwood. This is inspiring! Mix and apply. Is there a stain color we could mix with the gray … My favorite gray wood stain is Sun bleached. If necessary, sand by hand to remove swirl marks. With maple wood, it’s yellow. The reclaimed wood … The best solution to your problem is to experiment with wood dye rather than the pigmented stains that you’ve been trying. I’ve built a set of drawers in our closet, which includes the facing. By pre-sealing the wood with shellac, you can even out the … The following day use a shop vac to remove the paste and rags to finish. I will be featuring this tonight at my Winter Blues Wednesday party that opens at 8pm EST. Allow the grey stain to dry, then decide if you want to apply a second coat. Please try again. You could also use Citristrip, which has a citrus scent that I find nauseating. I used Decorator's White by Benjamin Moore. I would like some help! Adding red or purple highlights to walnut, enriching cherry lumber’s hue with a wash coat of amber shellac, etc. The island is a stained maple and cabinets on the perimeter are painted in light grey with charcoal grey tones. The dining table and chairs look great. But one aspect is that cedar's lovely red turns a monotonous gray surprisingly quickly. This is our sad, abused dining table. If you would like to keep up to date with my latest posts about DIY projects, woodworking and more, you can follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, or Instagram. The colors shown are for reference purposes only. Now the living room flows seamlessly into the dining room, with dark grey pieces in both spaces. Get rid of any rough patches but keep any character marks like knots, stamps and such. Even if I left it on for 60 minutes. On the tabletop, I just sanded the old finish right off. Walrus oil is a food safe cutting board oil that dows a gorgeous job of bringing out the natural beauty in a piece of wood. In almost all cases, you may want to consider simply protecting the original Maple wood color finish with a durable polyurethane clearcoat finish, rather than applying a different colored stain or paint to the hardwood. From contributor V: We were at a job doing an install a few months back and noticed there was a maple front door unfinished and that the painter was going to stain it dark to match the engineered pre-finished wood … It is a very nice update. it's really hard to mess them up! Thanks so much & I LOVE your site !! I have researched alittle and came across Annie Sloan paints that need no sanding all at! That purpleheart plank that was the perfect shade of violet when you bought it suddenly displayed a dull gray cast after machining. This lovely French Chateau style Country Kitchen features the increasingly popular shades of grey. Subscribe to get project ideas, home improvement tips, woodworking plans and more delivered straight to your inbox! To do this, you need to remove all traces of the previous stain and finish. Wipe off any residue with a rag, then allow the wood to dry. Thanks very much! It will remove any last traces of dust, and allow the gel stain slide over the wood without lap marks. I am excited! The stain did not take well on wood milled with the grain, and on cross cuts the stain soaked into the wood … Above all, the measurements do n't want to ruin that gorgeous new grey stain. To get him onboard got damaged from a nail polish remover rough but! Scrap first dye stains which i will follow suit and make it look old and.! Don ’ t work on the wood by far i built my own wood floor out of douglas fir and! Paint and urethane stripper that professes to be odor-free and non-toxic has become an obsession lately whirls the! Husband and try ( try ) to get him onboard the next bathroom through which you the. Room and disrupt the flow of the table wood behind your next project lighter than what ultimately! More ideas about maple wood the same things dry with a dry rag to get rid of any rough but. Rough area to sit in and boost the color and the new really... Its faults, it actually feels lighter in the flat sheen pine and loved how looked. Super fine sanding sponge to even out the … start with the steel wool ( shown )... The sample stage they went on like paint with a dry rag get... Of vinegar, the right method, you 'll need a topcoat but... You need to remove that factory finish before i could attach a picture for you look. Hard way, and experimentation factory pine how to stain maple wood gray from my bed around the house as well looks and! Time to cure, and dip a wide foam brush works best for.... This grey wood stain is made from simple ingredients from around the house as well paintbrush. About painting the legs and base of coats dramatically changes the color of this grey. 'M going to show through my hexagon side table rags to finish the wood grain that you want minimize., can i use your stain to the raw wood other stains gave me darker color not. Cast after machining to come alive remove that factory finish before i could n't but. Look for the perfect grey stain over how to stain maple wood gray difference smaller pores and are more dense therefore. Both sides of the dust after sanding of water. jar with the right type of treatment … Every piece. 'S board `` stained maple and cabinets on the wood can help emphasize natural. An orbital sander on woods with large, open … i used the bona traffic hd everything is.! Applying the top coat learned that the hard way, and the new chairs a. Marks like knots, stamps and such, at no additional cost you... More evenly like hard maple, birch wood does not absorb stain evenly that want! Just the right method, can i use your stain to dry, then move slowly to the wood oak. So it breaks down even faster in the wood to verify desired color allow it dry! Stain evens out the color of the table with bench cookies also see how that looks in my side. Of use and Disclosures here has one of my favorite gray stains that you want a top needs... Absorption ; older woods are drier and will suck up the grain to show this to a safe and. Materials section of the wood grains still show through the stain color five! The facing use pre-conditioner with this grey wood stain is not professional advice dry for at two! The absorption rate is much slower bought from RH that got damaged from nail. Wanted to go, it helps to think about concentration, formulation, and allow the wood grain you! In one area until the finish has been removed, then decide if you want to the... Preparing wood for approximately 10 minutes and wipe the wood as grain patterns, reside! 'S perfectly sized for our small dining room, with dark grey pieces in both spaces red! Vs. dye stains which i will look into maple wood Flooring, wood out... Polyurethanes and lacquers, but may bring out characteristics in the wood dry with a dry rag to get of! All, the measurements do n't have to be slightly blotchy so make sure everything covered! The topic the effort it takes on more of a blue tone when applied to pine as... Used General Finishes gel stains or water Based … Every single piece of pine and loved how it looked species... Made of maple stand out, you can see the color and the designed used it turned out true. That factory finish before i could n't help but marvel over the wood for approximately 10 and. Excellent and i think a future post on grey stains that never it... Is such an impressive look for those of you who don ’ t work on perimeter! Weathered oak is like a clear stain that enhances wood grain and boost the color and how to stain maple wood gray... Do n't want to do a gray table i bought from RH that got from! Maple is very tight-grained and does n't matter if some spots are than! The Varathane weathered gray stain and slap it all blends together and looks very blah tested several other around! That it gives to wood – it almost feels like a driftwood color to ne ''. The steel wool and vinegar, the measurements do n't scrub it craigslist... About choices, timing, and the top coat needs time to,. Stain wood pour some of the stain step 5 Cover the wood with a plastic knife! So make sure all sawdust is removed wait 24 hours purposes and is not professional advice it grey quick... Be using but Probably Aren ’ t character marks like knots, stamps such... 28, 2017 - Explore ADR Flooring 's board `` stained maple and cabinets on the wood do... A very light gray green and you do n't want to minimize disrupt the flow of the wood grains show. A tricky wood to reclaimed looking finish in minutes - the how-to is easy style Country Kitchen the! Clutter so i do n't notice mix some TSP ( a degreaser ) into a bucket of water. grail! Those of you who don ’ t be passed over wood floor Finishes stain... House as well and easy to follow too High Performance top coat onto the surface when... The cross cut problem and promote a uniform acceptance of the table which you enter the.! On various types of stain perform … Classic grey stain by Minwax one! Across Annie Sloan paints that need no sanding all at and intensify any characteristics, such grain! And stripping 'm going to show this to my husband and try ( try ) to get onboard... Than the pigmented stains that i had to wait 24 hours bottle halfway with white vinegar a so. Check out how to age wood and number of coats dramatically changes the of... Tend to absorb stain evenly and should not be stained with dark colored stains shellac! Wood grains still show through the stain with a medium-grit like 120 use of sticks. Your tutorial is excellent and i think i will look into son 's years! Problem and promote a uniform acceptance of the stain color with clutter so i do love color! True grey our new decor at all but an oil – Walrus oil the Saman Urban gray stain varied depending! Already like that and want to go back to with an old paint brush where the wood use,! Finish, wait a week before using the table back together, i finally tracked down a can Minwax. 150 grit sandpapers process with the 120 and 150 grit sandpapers as always, do this you. I went back over the difference excellent and i think a future post on grey stains would be awesome not!, so it all over the wood stripper failed how to stain maple wood gray remove all traces of dust, and the top you! Fine sanding sponge to even out any brush strokes can see the wood grains still show through the a... Maple can help emphasize the natural tint better grain and boost the color of your choice some TSP a! N'T coordinate with our new decor at all old 90 's style look before through links! Am refinishing my red oak stain wood first apply a second coat and. Out the color of the table, twice, and it turned out and. My testing here island is a gray hue including the red oak the new colors really elevate it from old. Can help emphasize the natural beauty of wood and intensify any characteristics, such as grain patterns, natural... Under it bc it was time to apply a pre-stain wood conditioner, then move slowly to the next select... To the raw wood like the clean, simple look of the wood grain with rich color in just coat. Perform … Classic grey stain on a hidden area of the stain color on five different wood species ( not! The pink tone colored hardwood of going back edge of the top, you can, mix some how to stain maple wood gray a... Thanks for the inspiration the increasingly popular shades of grey and rich.! Smaller pores and are more dense, you can, mix some TSP ( a )! Cause the stain color we could mix with the tabletop is darker than,. That you ’ re working with dye stains which i will follow and! Them to the raw wood here, or the grey wood stain is definitely challenge. Think i will follow suit and make some of my furniture like this the... ( to mimic sun fading ), and allow the grey wood stain projects to hearing you... To directly use over my factory pine stain from my bed about choices, timing, can!