[BillSPrestonEsq]

Originally Posted by 1/2-Fast Player

You're probably correct, but what would happen if you stained the veneer prior to gluing it in place? Or perhaps applied the stain before the glue cured?

Honestly, I think it would be really tricky to work with, but I am guessing this would be one of two ways I see to do it. The other I can think of is to use a light stain prior to finishing and then using tinting in the spray coats or just tinting the clear coats.

I'm not a woodworker, and you've had experience with this. Ever stain veneer, or maybe laminated wood like plywood? Are some glues permeable to the stains?

Yeah, I did try it, and the result was blotchy. I doubt you could use a permeable glue, because all the ways I can think of that working would dissolve the glue...

When you stain a thicker piece of maple, how deeply does the stain penetrate? If the stain only goes through 1/32" of wood and your veneer is 1/16" thick, it'd be a non-issue.

The dark spots in my quilted maple top which is 3/8 inch or so thick, the stain penetrated completely through in seconds. These were the spots that looked darker. Thats why I am wondering about this...

This actually intrigues me because I like making guitars with quilted maple tops. But since I am using braced tops on hollows, I don't think veneers will be too useful to me for a while.

[1/2-Fast Player]

I wonder how Epi does it,then. Obviously veneers have been used for furniture for many many years, and there are often lovely stains and finishes on them. There must be a simple technique, or the cost advantage of using veneers would be lost.

What's the difference between a dye and a stain? Some folks seem to think dyes work better on veneers.

[BillSPrestonEsq]

Originally Posted by 1/2-Fast Player

I wonder how Epi does it,then. Obviously veneers have been used for furniture for many many years, and there are often lovely stains and finishes on them. There must be a simple technique, or the cost advantage of using veneers would be lost.

What's the difference between a dye and a stain? Some folks seem to think dyes work better on veneers.

Yeah, I pretty much agree, I just don't know the technique. I wish I did. I will probably be playing with that, and maybe it is a different method.

Anyway, I would not recommend it for a beginner.