Barb Martin Posted October 23, 2019 Report Share Posted October 23, 2019 I'm not quite sure what the original wood was. It almost looks like it was a combination of woods. I sanded my dining table down to almost a white finish. I applied a slip coat of mineral spirits and then the Gel stain Brown Mahogany gel stain. I waited 24-48 hours and applied a second coat. This wasn't the color I hoped for (again accepting the color differently according to the wood) so I waited again and applied a third coat. It looks as if each kind of wood accepted it differently again????? What can I do? I thought about going out and buying the Java gel stain and just going darker hoping that it will cover it. Would I have to lightly sand (220) the whole table first? I'm kind of at my wits end. I followed the instructions to a tee from the General Finishes site so I don't know what to do! Please advise! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Beasley Posted October 23, 2019 Report Share Posted October 23, 2019 Sound a bit like it was originally sealed with a sanding sealer before the original stain went on to keep the penetration consistent. You skipped that step this time around so the stain was penetrating each piece differently. Post a picture if you can and some of our more experienced members can chime in with better advise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted October 24, 2019 Report Share Posted October 24, 2019 I think Gary is correct. Clean off any excess stain and let the surface dry, coat it with dewaxed shellac, then gel stain over that. The piece will look almost as if it were painted, but it should even the color out a good bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barb Martin Posted October 24, 2019 Author Report Share Posted October 24, 2019 I sanded it down originally to almost a white color before I put any stain on it. The attached pictures show the table now with 3 coats of General Finishes Oil based stain in Brown Mahogany color. Obviously, this is not acceptable! If I sand down (using 220 grit), can I just go darker with the Java color and hope it covers? Or do I put shellac on it and then stain? If I have to put shellac on it.... how long does it take shellac to dry ? I'm a novice at this (like you can't tell) so talk to me like I'm a 9 year old. (I'm not putting myself down put right now but after all the work sanding and staining, this is how I'm feeling right now)! I appreciate any help I can get! Barb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Beasley Posted October 24, 2019 Report Share Posted October 24, 2019 First of all check the edge of the wood where the leaf opens and be sure you are not dealing with a veneer and not solid wood. If its veneer Id be careful about doing more sanding. If solid sand it again, clean it good and spray on the unwaxed shellac. After a very light sanding go ahead with your finish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpt life Posted October 24, 2019 Report Share Posted October 24, 2019 I would guess you are dealing with blotch and uneven prep. Darker at the left edge could be prep that just is not consistent. For example, if you began at a courser grit but did not sand all the way out with a finer grit, that could lead to over saturation by comparison. It is also possible that not all of the old product was removed there. With blotch prone woods, a factory is likely to cover with a tinted finish to either cover or blend tones. Controlling blotch is a lengthy discussion I am not best at. I hope this gives you a few things to consider. PS I forgot one thing. Like posted above, if this is veneer, it is possible to sand far enough through to get glue interference from the initial application. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted October 24, 2019 Report Share Posted October 24, 2019 @Tpt life mentioned lower grits - once you determine that the table IS solid wood, not veneer, tackle it with a coarser grit to clear the surface. 220 alone would take forever. Once clean, scribble over it with pencil and sand the next higher grit to remove all the marks. Rinse and repeat, I'd go up to 320. Then spritz with water to swell any loose fibe on the surface, let dry, and repeat the 320 sanding. Seal with shellac, dry overnight, lightly sand with 400 grit. The surface should take color much more evenly, but absorb less. Want darker? Use more coats. Regarding shellac, I prefer to seal with Zinnser Bullsey Seal Coat, mixed about 50/50 with denatured alcohol. One coat won't seem like much, but it fills the open pores enough to help control uneven stain absorption. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barb Martin Posted October 24, 2019 Author Report Share Posted October 24, 2019 Thanks so much everybody! I'm guessing it is veneer! You get what you pay for, right? I do appreciate ya'll trying to help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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