I am building a walkin closet out of maple plywood and did not realize how hard it would be to stain maple. I found a deskstain color that is exactly the color i want to use but it dries to fast when trying to apply it and wipe it off. it is more like a light tan/beige color.
the problem I have is when trying oil based stains or water based stains to try to match it. Everything has a orangey look. I have tried to mix some together and use some white under tone (which helps) but cant seem to get the light brown look i am going for. Any advice on how to get the color I am going for on maple plywood. in the pics is the color I am trying to get but the samples I am doing are either too dark too light, or orangey hue

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Try using Van Dyke Brown in several dilutions, if necessary use a truck of black, though it most likely be necessary.....my preference is SOHO Urban Artist colors available on line from various art supply houses.this color is mainly used to imitate what is known as coffee and or black tea stains. Give it a try.!!

Brian what products are you working with? What is your normal stain and topcoat?

???....I use a wide variety of pigment stains and dyes, I have over 50 years of both custom finishing and manufacturing finishing and have almost every finish coating that has come to market since 1964...what I now use is the same things I started out with, Nitro Lacquer, Acrylic lacquers, French polish, Polymerized Tung Oil, and food safe oils for food preparation surface. Acrylics are what I mostly use for spray work.
If, by chance your asking me about the types of surfaces I'm applying these products to, it would everything from Grand Pianos, furniture, of all kinds and types, as well as plastic, metal, glass, and other substrates. as needed.

Ooopps....sorry I thought Brian was asking the question, disregard my response.

Brian, like Chemmy mix my own stains for the most part. For waterbased stains I really think for a quality job you have to spray application and wipe. I tend to use Chemcraft products and their clear stain base that stain if my screen is showing it correctly would have some lamp black, a little burnt umber, a little yellow oxide and a just a small amount of green. In the morning I could look at my notebook and give you approximate grams per gallon. Using a deck stain on maple veneer I think you’re just asking for trouble in many regards. Not the least perhaps adhesion issues with a topcoat. I respect your sample board a ton. That was professional. But I think you’re fighting an uphill battle.