How to Refinish Tiger Maple

Sand the tiger maple to expose the full grain of the wood. Begin with 60-grit sandpaper to remove blemishes and coloring that may remain on the surface of the wood. Tiger maple has two distinct grains; one is hard and the other is soft. The soft grains form the tiger pattern, and the hard grains make up the remaining. Sanding down the top surface will expose both grains, which is essential to refinishing the wood.

Sand the wood with 80-grit sandpaper to even the wood surface and begin the smoothing process. Sand in a circular motion with the orbital sander rather than across the wood grain.

Apply dark wood dye to the tiger maple. Wipe the dye on with a cotton rag in thin applications. Wipe any excess dye off with the cotton rag, and allow the wood to set for 30 minutes. Sand the wood surface with 120-grit sandpaper, which will remove the dye from the hard grain but leave the dye in the soft grain.

Apply another coat of dark wood dye to the tiger maple, wiping the dye on with a cotton rag in a thin coat. Wipe away the excess dye with the rag. Allow the second coat to set for one hour, and sand away the surface with 150-grit sandpaper. This process continues to remove the dye from the hard grains while exposing the continued darkening of the soft grain, which forms the tiger pattern. Continue to apply dark dye and sand with 150-grit sandpaper until you achieve the darkened tiger stripes you desire.

Apply one coat of light wood dye to the tiger maple wood by wiping it on with a cotton rag, wiping away any excess dye with the rag. Allow the dye to set for four to six hours, and apply wipe-on finish. Wipe on lacquer finish, which will further expose the tiger grains of the wood. Allow the finish to dry, and sand lightly with 220-grit sandpaper. Apply several coats of lacquer, sanding between each coat.