Reply by swirlsandburls

I have found that most walnut that I use for turning looks better if stained to even out the color a bit without losing the look of the walnut, especially if there is a pronounced color change from heartwood to sapwood or if the stock has aged and faded. I use either a Minwax Dark Walnut or an alcohol based dye that I mix myself using Trans-tint. I actually prefer the Minwax; I find the color very pleasing. These two plates were made from the same stock, one is unstained, the other stained with Minwax.

-- patience is a virtue ... in woodworking, cooking, and life in general