Finishing This Cabinet??

[John Terefenko]

I have a project I started about 8 to 10 years ago. Do not remember. But I want to finish it now because my den is just about done and want to hang it in there. Now the room will be painted a light grey. Grey desk and grey furniture. The cabinet is made from I believe soft maple and I added some bloodwood accents such as splines. It is going to be for displaying the special writing pens I make. I have small little shelves they will lay on. I did those in same maple and added a stripe of bloodwood. My original thought was to finish it with a clear finish, something in oil to give it a little color and top coat with a satin Lacquer. The thought popped in my head now that I have a more certain plan on the room is to stain the cabinet a light grey as well as those little shelves. But my concern is those bloodwood accents and how would they accept a grey stain. Or is there a way to block them from getting stained. Now anytime I stained there is always bleedoff into other woods. So my question is what does the masses think and any tips or do's and don't s that you can share with a novice when it comes to things like this. I do not want to mess this up. Should I stain it grey or leave it natural and go from there? If I stain what is a good stain to use? If I leave it natural what are the best steps to get it there? Should I use a stain controller or let stain soak in naturally if using stain? If natural should I shellac before I spray lacquer it? Thanks ahead of time for the help. I have included a couple old photos of the cabinet in question.

miterswithsplines.jpgcornermiters.jpg

[John TenEyck]

You could brush on a coat of two of shellac on the bloodwood pieces using an artist's brush to seal those parts, then stain it. But I wouldn't; I'd leave it natural and finish it with you favorite clear product.

If you decide to stain it, try it on some scrap first. Maple is notorious for blotching. People try all sorts of ways to prevent it. Clearcoat avoids the heartache.

John

[John Terefenko]

You could brush on a coat of two of shellac on the bloodwood pieces using an artist's brush to seal those parts, then stain it. But I wouldn't; I'd leave it natural and finish it with you favorite clear product.

If you decide to stain it, try it on some scrap first. Maple is notorious for blotching. People try all sorts of ways to prevent it. Clearcoat avoids the heartache.

John

Yea same as I was thinking about blotching. Thanks.

[David William]

Your project sounds exciting! Staining soft maple and bloodwood can be a bit tricky due to the wood's different absorbency. To prevent bleeding, you can use a wood conditioner before staining or pre-seal the bloodwood accents. For a light gray stain, consider water-based stains, which can be easier to work with. After staining, you might use a clear sealer like lacquer or polyurethane. Test your process on scrap wood first to ensure you achieve the desired effect without issues. Good luck with your project!