Expert: Greg Scholl - 6/29/2011

Question
I have recently purchased all new custom kitchen cabinets and also have put a new maple eyebrow style window in over the sink.
I wanted to stain and glaze it to match the cabinets.  The cabinets are a medium brown with glaze.  I purchased a pint of stain and a pint of glaze from the cabinet maker.  The directions were to stain the wood then glaze over it with a rag and wipe it off.

My wife and I jointly stained it and the grill insert, which turned out great.  We then went to dinner.  When we came back we wiped the glaze on and it remained solid black no matter how we rubbed even with steel wool.
I believe we should have put on polyurethane first, but all the directions on the web don't say to do that.
So, with several hours of trying remover and steel wool then taking the orbital sander to it with 80 grit we have a somewhat
natural wood color.
What can we do to it other than paint it white even though we paid $360.00 more for the window to be maple.

Answer
Hey Steve, sorry to hear this story, and unfortunately, you should have consulted a Pro before taking on such a project on an expensive window.Maple, both hard and soft, is notoriously difficult to finish well, especially by a novice who is unfamiliar with the techniques and materials used in the industry to create these finishes.....these finishes are NOT just stain and Poly, as you've found out. Kitchen cabinet finishes can have upwards of 15+ individual steps to their finishes...and glazing like you're describing is done after staining, sealing, and sometimes after a first clear coat, as well. They are then shot with a very tough catalyzed lacquer or urethane, and these finishes represent the 'State of the art", quite literally, of the finishing industry. They require a high degree of skill and knowledge to do, familiarity of the materials and their use, and this is especially true if one is trying to match a finish on a different piece of raw wood.The same finishing schedule almost never works from one piece of wood to the next, and it takes that edge of knowing what products to use, in what way, to effect a perfect match.Even just the clear coat will look different and affect the overall color, depth, etc.Consumer grade poly, with it's yellow/amber tint, will look very different than a lacquer, Acrylic urethane, or conversion varnish, and all will shift the color slightly depending on which is used, how many coats are applied and where in the finishing schedule they are used...not the realm of the DIY'er. These finishes are way more complicated and the products typically not available to the "consumer" DIY'er, because they need to be applied by someone with that knowledge and skill level, spray equipment, etc. Almost always, kitchen manufacturers apply a 'toner' coat as well...which is a colored clear, (dye based), to blend different grained boards, and kind of color down the whole batch of cabinets to a more uniform, even finish.Almost all these steps are sprayed on. One company's "medium Brown" will be very different than anothers, depending on the multi step finishing process they use.....and to replicate these finishes really takes some serious finishing "chops".I would also suggest, in the future that you inquire with the manufacturer when planning such a job, and see if they will finish these trim pieces as well...often they will for a nominal charge...and that is the best way of getting a "factory" perfect match. A few nail holes will have to be filled and touched up, but the overall look will be as near to perfect as possible, as they can finish the trim pieces with the cabinets, and the finishers can make them match. Another way to go would be to contact a Pro finisher...OR a local cabinet shop that does in house finishing...I would contact one now, before you make any more decisions...explaining what's happened and have them come in and evaluate it with you. They will need to see where the wood is at, color wise to see if it can be rescued.....Hope that helps- wish I had a better answer- please post back if need be- regards- Greg