Staining Euro Steamed Beech

Advice on achieving a consistent stain finish without blotching on steamed Beech. April 16, 2010

Question
I'm building a kitchen for some folks with Euro steamed beech that is going to be stained a red mahogany color. I'm using Mohawk Ultra Penetrating Stain, and though the color looks good, there is some blotchiness. What can I do to minimize this? Would spraying on a diluted coat of shellac seal coat and then applying the stain help? I would like to keep the solution simple and fairly inexpensive.

Forum Responses
(Finishing Forum)
From contributor J:
One thing I do for blotchy woods in general is apply a clear stain base (ML Campbell Woodsong) to the piece first. Once dry I follow up with the actual stain. It's not 100%, but does help a lot.

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From contributor C:
Don't use Mohawk stain with shellac. The solvents in it will just soften up the applied shellac. Use Lockwood's water base dyes and put down a hide glue size before applying. The dye will penetrate the size and give a very uniform affect.

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From contributor W:
How did you apply the Mohawk? I bet you aren't using them as they were meant to be used.