Ronstar
Moderator Emeritus
Ron, you’re right about the electric planer tear out. I take very light passes, and then put a new sharp edge on my Lie Nielsen 4 1/2 smoothing plane which produces a nice result. But I still finish up with some sanding.
As for finishing, I am a big fan of the hard wax oil finishes. I have tested Rubio monocot, Osmo Polyx,, Tried, and True, and Odie’s oil. My go-to for Maple is Osmo, because it is the least yellowing of them all. If I finish a piece that is solid walnut where a little warmth looks good, I like the Tried & True finish. The Rubio Monaco finish is too flat for my taste. The others produce a nice soft satin finish with a couple of coats.
If you haven’t used a hard wax finish before, be sure to follow the manufacture directions. With Osmo, you rub in a light coat and then remove every bit of residue within five or 10 minutes. If you leave it on too long. It gets too tacky.
My experience with Oslo as well. I use Osmo Poly a lot. Just haven't used it on maple yet. I'll have to try Tried and True on walnut - I've never used it.