Finishing and Refinishing

[dep293]

I have some hard maple that I would like to make into kitchen cabinets but i'm not sure if I will leave the wood natural or if I will use a dye or stain on them.  I'm not sure but I think hard maple has very tight grain and may be hard to stain.  If I were to stain it can anyone recommend which to use, Dye or Stain?  What would be the best finish to show off the wood grain.  I'm open to any options.

[jandsjacobson99]

Put the stain down, it just don't work!  Dye is your best bet for maple.  You can leave maple natural, but it does yellow quite a bit over time.  If you want you can also do a glaze after sealing up the dye; that is a very popular option with maple cabinets.

[JL North GA]

I agree with dye.  I've used Transtint for the most part.  I've used gel stains on soft maple with some success - but that was soft maple, not hard maple.

One thing to watch for - make sure you've done your final sandings with the grain!  The dye will pick up that little cross grain scratch like you wouldn' believe  (DAMHIKT).

[3-j]

The maple I used to build a desk years ago, finished with shellac, has aged to a beautiful light amber/tan.  It is not yellow.

[dep293]

Thanks to everyone for your help.