Tried a vinegar and steel wool patina on a maple cabinet and it went purple

I was working on a small maple cabinet for a client who wanted an antique gray finish. I mixed up the usual vinegar and steel wool brew, let it sit for 48 hours, and brushed it on. Instead of a nice gray, the whole thing turned this weird, blotchy lavender color. I think the tannins in this particular piece of maple reacted differently than I expected. I had to sand the whole thing back down, which added about four hours to the job. I ended up using a commercial water-based gray stain instead and it came out fine. Has anyone else had a vinegar stain go completely wrong on a light wood like maple? What's your go-to method for a reliable gray wash now?

2 comments

2 Comments

linda_butler2816d ago

Maple is a real gamble for that vinegar trick. I've had it work maybe three times out of ten, and the purple surprise is classic. My reliable method now is a thin wash of a basic gray latex paint, watered down about fifty percent. It gives a consistent, controllable color without the chemical guesswork.

sean_murray16d ago

Tell me about it, I had a maple picture frame go full Barney purple on me last year. Ruined the whole piece. I switched to using a tiny bit of black acrylic paint mixed into a clear glaze, lets me control the gray tone perfectly.