Expert: Greg Scholl - 11/19/2008

Question
I have just stripped, sanded and given one coat of stain to an old family table. In the process, I discovered that the top of the table is veneered, but in several pieces and no attempt was made to match the grain. The legs are very attractive, but are laminated pieces of oak, so the grain is also unmatched. It had not occurred to me, before beginning this project, that the previous, but not original, stained finish (at least 75 years old) was designed to hide all of that.

Question: What kind of a finish is available today that will maintain the stained look (rather than painted), hide the many variations of grain and piece joints, and can be brushed on, not sprayed.

Sincerest thanks.


Answer
Hi Janet, what you're experiencing can only be solved with "toning" techniques, which were really developed in the 20-30's when lacquer became common. Toning is the use of a colored topcoat, over a stain, or even two different types of stains, (Dye and pigmented), to blend and obscure differing and mismatched grain patterns in the wood. These techniques are really only the realm of an experienced finisher, with spray equipment, but there are ways to minimize the grain differences when brushing on a finish, and one of those is to use a different type of staining technique.The Gel stains, are pigmented stains with a polyurethane base, that minimizes blotchiness and uneveness in situations like this, but the technique involves a thin coat of the base stain color, allow that to dry, then apply a coat of clear poly,(satin), sealing in the stain coat, when that dries, lightly sand or steel wool any rough areas to the touch, but VERY carefully as to not sand through the clear coat, then apply a second stain coat to the dry sealer coat, wiping off evenly. This layering technique, only possible because the Gel stain is in a polyurethane base and is compatible with the clear coat, can approximate the toning techniques, because that second stain coat is actually toning the clear coat you sealed in the original coat with. Then you apply 1-2 clear coats over that, ( I usually use a semigloss for that), for your final finish. The key is to sneak up on the final color depth with careful use of the stain, and it's imperative to wipe off the stain coats well and evenly as you do this, as well as being absolutely sure each coat has dried hard (thoroughly). You can employ aerosol can's to apply the clears, too, which are great for an even smooth application.I use the General Gels, and the Bartley line, both excellent, and both also have an excellent Gel urethane clear coat. Now, preformulated lacquer toners are also available in many different colors, in two types, Pigmented and Dye based, for use when doing a lacquer finish, but this definitely the realm of the experienced finisher, and is impossible to teach in a forum like this. Lacquers are finicky to apply properly without some serious skills in finishing, so I would not recommend them to a novice, or even someone with some experience, unless they are familiar with working with lacquer.Hope that helps a little, these techniques are best learned in steps, starting with a smaller project and working up from there. The best news is that one can always strip and start again! Post back if need be- regards- Greg
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