Reply by DaleM

I just sprayed an entire set of kitchen cabinets, soft maple, that the buyer wanted to look like chocolate. I’m not talking about milk chocolate either, but dark, so it may be the color you’re looking for. I sprayed brown dye, diluted in dye stain reducer. That got it about halfway there. I then rubbed on and wiped off minwax dark walnut stain, now mostly there, but not quite, as it wasn’t evenly colored. I then had to lightly mist on some more minwax dark walnut over the lighter areas. I could have probably sprayed a little more dye in those lighter areas and gotten the same effect.
I sprayed vinyl sealer over that, then two coats of precat satin lacquer and it came out looking good.
Here is the link to the dye and the reducer.
http://oem.sherwin-williams.com/ca/eng/oem/products/sherwood_universal_dye_concentrates/?referringCategory=categories/wood/fillers_dyes_glazes_stains/

http://oem.sherwin-williams.com/us/eng/oem/products/haps_compliant_dye_stain_reducer/?referringCategory=supplies_and_equipment/solventsreducers/alcohols_glycol_ethers/

-- Dale Manning, Carthage, NY