Meredith Posted October 14, 2020 Report Share Posted October 14, 2020 I stripped and sanded a walnut veneer sideboard then applied Danish oil in dark walnut. A part of the wood along th bottom edge did not take the stain and is white. I was very careful to avoid sanding through the veneer, but it seems that may be what happened? Is this some glue below the veneer that is resisting the stain? Any other explanations? Thanks in advance for any suggested fixes. I tried to upload a photo here: https://ibb.co/jgnpDkP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted October 14, 2020 Report Share Posted October 14, 2020 Veneer glue, surface contamination or poorly-mixed Danish oil are all possibilities. The pigment in that Danish oil settles rather quickly, and must be stirred often. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meredith Posted October 14, 2020 Author Report Share Posted October 14, 2020 Some further info I should have added in the first post: this white area was apparent before staining, I was just hoping that the stain would cover it. The issue is something in the wood, rather than the danish oil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted October 14, 2020 Report Share Posted October 14, 2020 Ahhh...the image is loading now. The definitely looks like sanded-through veneer to me. Short of a major veneer repair, or some very careful work with artists's colors, I can't suggest a fix. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drzaius Posted October 14, 2020 Report Share Posted October 14, 2020 Definitely sanded through the veneer, which is a crying shame because that's a beautiful bit of grain. The veneer glue on the substrate is what's keeping the stain from taking. Commercially veneered plywood is so very delicate. I give it no more than the lightest pass with 220 or 300 by hand, but if the surface is in decent shape, no sanding at all until after the first coat of finish. For best results & the least work, re-veneering the entire side is the way to go. If your very talented with colors & a brush, you may be able to touch it up so it wouldn't stand out to a cursory glance. But there'll be no hiding it from anything more. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meredith Posted October 14, 2020 Author Report Share Posted October 14, 2020 Thanks all. This is my first project restoring a piece with veneer and I thought I was being careful, but clearly not quite enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drzaius Posted October 14, 2020 Report Share Posted October 14, 2020 Really sorry for you that it didn't work out. But let me restate the fragility of that veneer layer. It is literally paper thin & very easily damaged. Even light scratching during construction can be deep enough that you can't sand it out. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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