u/DeadlyShroom

Hello! I am working on a project with a CNC'ed plywood base, consisting of two half inch glued up plywood boards roughly 48"x48" inches for a parametric sculpture. The goal is to have a dark finish (near black or dark brown) on the base that matches the pieces (See last image) but still shows off the topography lines produced by CNCing the board. I attempted to use Varathane's Oil Based Ebony stain but it did not produce very good results, the lighter layers got really dark and the dark layers stayed roughly the same color (I do not like the bright orange and would prefer it more monotone). First image is before stain, second is after, third is after freaking out and sanding the stain off as best as I could. I have been asking around for advice on what dark stain to use, and so far Black India Ink has been the closest to what I am looking for, Although it's hard to find examples of it on plywood of this nature. I do have a test piece this time to try some finishes out before committing to the whole board, but wanted to see if anyone had suggestions before spending a bunch of money. This is my first time staining wood so any advice would be greatly appreciated, Thanks!