Quick finish for curly maple

[Braden Nichols]

I am making a curly maple cross as a gift and I wont have much time to spend on the finish. Please let me know what the quickest and easiest finishing method to make the curly maple pop. Thank you in advance.

[Prashun Patel]

I am making a curly maple cross as a gift and I wont have much time to spend on the finish. Please let me know what the quickest and easiest finishing method to make the curly maple pop. Thank you in advance.

Boiled Linseed Oil wiped on then wiped off. Next day, a few coats of shellac.

[Robert Reece]

You might get an even deeper contrast if you apply some orangy-brown dye. I am sort of experimenting with this now - looks like Dark Vintage Maple from homesteadfinishing might be the ticket.

[Sean Troy]

Quickest finish to pop the grain is Mahoney's Walnut Oil. Woodcraft has it. Dries quicker than any oil I've used before.

[craig greene]

BLO wiped on then off as Prashun said. You will be able to cover it the next day.

Attached is a picture of a clock I made as a Christmas gift. I wiped a very thin coat of BLO on, waited about 5 min, then wiped it off. The next day I sprayed 2 coats of clear gloss lacquer on it.

[Philip Rodriquez]

1. Transtint dye w/ wax-free shellac
2. sand it all back - this keeps the dye in the curls and "pops" them
3. top off with the finish of your choosing (wax-free shellac works with anything)

[Robert Chapman]

Equal parts of tung oil, polyurethane and paint thinner - wiped on with a rag.

[Lee Schierer]

The fastest finish I know is Deft Clear wood finish. For a small project you can buy it in a spray can. Here's what curly maple looks like with Deft applied.

[Glen D. Huey]

For me, it's Moser's water-base aniline dye (you choose the color). Soak the project until dye runs off, let it sit for 5 minutes, then wipe dry. You can speed the drying process with a hairdryer if the project is small enough.

If you have time (and extra 24 hours), a coat of BLO makes the curl pop. If not, move right to shellac. A few coats sanded between layers until you get a good build, then steel wool and a coat of wax.

[Prashun Patel]

Personally, I wouldn't screw around with the dye. It might be the most effective grain popping technique, but it's just going to add more steps to the process. If speed is your big driver, you can get 90% of the way there with oil + shellac or even just amber shellac.

[steven c newman]

Metal filings ( steel wool even) in cheese cloth, soak this "bag" in Vinegar. Remove bag, and brush on the vinegar "dye". Old gun stock trick.

[John Coloccia]

I'm a fan of amber shellac followed by clear shellac. Sometimes even blonde followed by clear. I really like my wood to look natural, and this is a very good combo. I HAVE done, and do, the transtint in shellac thing, but I use only a drop or two, apply it lightly, and sand it off.

The ultimate in my opinion is French polish. Again, amber shellac followed by clear (or if it's a blotch prone wood, a light spit coat of clear, followed by amber...then maybe followed by clear). You end up with this just amazing 3D quality to the wood. But you want to spend less time, not more time

BLO followed by shellac is very nice too as someone else mentioned. I like what Tru Oil does but I don't like how dark it gets.

[C Scott McDonald]

For me, it's Moser's water-base aniline dye (you choose the color). Soak the project until dye runs off, let it sit for 5 minutes, then wipe dry. You can speed the drying process with a hairdryer if the project is small enough.

If you have time (and extra 24 hours), a coat of BLO makes the curl pop. If not, move right to shellac. A few coats sanded between layers until you get a good build, then steel wool and a coat of wax.

It is cool you post here! I saw you do that finish in your High Chest of Drawers video which is on my bucket list to do some day!

[Montgomery Scott]

Hands down brush on lacquer is the fastest and easiest. You can apply a coat and it's ready to go in 30 minutes even in colder weather. You won't get much protection or build with it, though.