Carpentry and Woodworking - Refinishing Cabinets
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KJPhoto
08-03-05, 11:13 AM
Greetings!
I desperately need some advice. My husband and I recently sanded our knotty pine cabinets to remove layers of polyurethane and their orange color. They looked very bare after sanding (#60 sand paper - palm sander)but when I put the first coat of red mahogany stain on them, a few areas did not accept the stain. I re-sanded the stubborn areas and applied another coat of stain. I missed a very important part of the staining process - I forgot to wipe off areas with excess stain. The next day the cabinets looked even worse. The stubborn areas still did not take the stain and there were shiny strips from too much stain that were still tacky. And because I gave the cabinets two coats, they are now too dark and some areas appear purple.
My question is: Could I sand the pooled stain on the cabinet bases as well as the stubborn areas again and then stain only those areas twice and trust that the color will blend with the rest?
I would really like to fix this, even if the cabinets will be very dark. My husband thinks I should start priming now and paint them instead of going on to the polyurethane.
(Instead of sanding the doors (they had been removed), I've decided to use Citristrip. With a lot of elbow grease and steel wool, the finish appears to be coming off. There is the potential for these to turn out perfect if I'm careful :-)
I appreciate any ideas folks may have...
I desperately need some advice. My husband and I recently sanded our knotty pine cabinets to remove layers of polyurethane and their orange color. They looked very bare after sanding (#60 sand paper - palm sander)but when I put the first coat of red mahogany stain on them, a few areas did not accept the stain. I re-sanded the stubborn areas and applied another coat of stain. I missed a very important part of the staining process - I forgot to wipe off areas with excess stain. The next day the cabinets looked even worse. The stubborn areas still did not take the stain and there were shiny strips from too much stain that were still tacky. And because I gave the cabinets two coats, they are now too dark and some areas appear purple.
My question is: Could I sand the pooled stain on the cabinet bases as well as the stubborn areas again and then stain only those areas twice and trust that the color will blend with the rest?
I would really like to fix this, even if the cabinets will be very dark. My husband thinks I should start priming now and paint them instead of going on to the polyurethane.
(Instead of sanding the doors (they had been removed), I've decided to use Citristrip. With a lot of elbow grease and steel wool, the finish appears to be coming off. There is the potential for these to turn out perfect if I'm careful :-)
I appreciate any ideas folks may have...
tae
08-03-05, 03:20 PM
pine is probably one of the hardest woods to stain well, as it tends to come out "blotchy". they do make a prestain sealer which might help.
The orange color was the "patina" which pine will get after a couple years.
you will need to get that excess glop off before you do anything, even priming to paint.
once sanded, use something to get rid of any excess oil from the wood,like alcohol or mineral spirits, then use the sealer, then stain.
The orange color was the "patina" which pine will get after a couple years.
you will need to get that excess glop off before you do anything, even priming to paint.
once sanded, use something to get rid of any excess oil from the wood,like alcohol or mineral spirits, then use the sealer, then stain.
mako
08-03-05, 06:19 PM
I'm personally quite fond of the warm glow of knotty pine. Gives your house a fantastic rustic charm.
And I'll second (and third, if I may) the vote for pine being a pain to stain. A prestain sealer is the way to go, but you may get a slightly lighter coat. Also, do not stop sanding at 60 grit, go to at least 120. I stop at 150.
Couple of tips on stain and polyurethane--- err on the side of lighter. I tend to stain things with a cloth (like an old t shirt) that's damply saturated with the stain. Wipe the wood until it has the color you want.
As far as polyurethane, it takes forever to dry so keep it out of potentially dusty areas and NOT outside unless you want flies trapped in amber in your house forever, lol. And apply lightly, thicker does not equal better.
And I'll second (and third, if I may) the vote for pine being a pain to stain. A prestain sealer is the way to go, but you may get a slightly lighter coat. Also, do not stop sanding at 60 grit, go to at least 120. I stop at 150.
Couple of tips on stain and polyurethane--- err on the side of lighter. I tend to stain things with a cloth (like an old t shirt) that's damply saturated with the stain. Wipe the wood until it has the color you want.
As far as polyurethane, it takes forever to dry so keep it out of potentially dusty areas and NOT outside unless you want flies trapped in amber in your house forever, lol. And apply lightly, thicker does not equal better.