Picture Frame - Oak and Maple - with maple blotch :(

Those blotches look like glue spots to me. The glue creates a bit of hold out on the stain because it seals the wood.

-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://amcraftsman.com

Hey thanks! I never even thought of that. I sanded like mad after the gluing. This means that glue really penetrates maple far more than I ever imagined. Never seen that problem before working with wood other than pine and oak.

I agree with Todd. That is not what’s really meant by “blotchiness” in maple. Blotchiness is something that shows up on a large area, like a tabletop, where the surface accepts the stain in a generally uneven manner. The spots you have indicated are more indicative of the stain reacting to a particular flaw such as a scratch or a glue spot.

I like the frame a lot.

-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"

Yes, the frame design itself is nice. You just had a little trouble with the stain.

-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://amcraftsman.com

If it’s not glue, then I would guess maybe it is splatters of the wood conditioner? Blotchiness is when the stain penetrates way more in one spot than the rest and makes dark blotches. Your spots are lighter, which means the stain couldn’t get in for whatever reason.

But I think the frame looks great, regardless. :)

-- Beth

So even when you sand it down after each of those steps (glueing, conditioning) they can still get you, I guess.

dont point the mistakes out we would never know ;) good looking frame

-- Got Wood?

Just a thought, but had you considered just letting the maple be maple? Sometimes a nice contrast between two woods can be just grand. I like to prefinish parts if I can, before gluing—especially if I’m going to use yellow PVA glue. If you’re going to glue before staining and finishing, you might also try a good quality animal hide glue—for example, Titebond’s premixed stuff or the old fashioned mix-your-own, that requires a hot glue pot—suppliers are Lee Valley and Highland Woodworking. This type of glue can be cleaned up with a toothbrush and warm water, and is somewhat more friendly to stain.

-- SteveL

It’s still a good idea to get Charles Neils finishing a-z it’s great.

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop, custom furniture ,maker, woodworking school, heirloomwoodshop.com

Jim, I did get a taste of it. I got a subscription to fine woodworking for my b-day… and I was pleased to see an article on finishing first by Charles!

Nice looking picture frame.

-- CJIII Future cabinetmaker

That was a good article by Charles

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop, custom furniture ,maker, woodworking school, heirloomwoodshop.com