Go to your local Woodcraft store, and buy a piece of Birch.
Then go over to their wood finish department look at all the little bottles of dye that they have. Theyll have sample pieces of each one of the dyes on maple in every color.
Depending on what youre attempting to do, you may build a finishing sequence of up to eight steps.
An example would be trying to get an entire bank of cabinets made from different pieces of wood, to all have the same color and tone when you get done.
So, Id prolly dye it ebony, then sand that off irregularly
Then a wash of cherry dye for red over black, not black over red.
Then a spit coat of garnet shellac. That will give you a mottled reddish overall look with some dark under color. And enough tooth to get your final layers where you want them.
Then a scuff sand.
Then awash of med walnut gel stain over that, then a coat of oil over top.
You build your color in layers, even it out with the toner in the top coat.
Or do something else entirely.
Figure free dense hardwoods are not easy to make look like something else.
You can add just enough mystery with layered toning to get the next guy to wonder whats under it.
