Expert: Eileen Cronk - 9/29/2009

Question
Hello again Eileen,
We have started stripping our kitchen cabinets and it's going well.  We are using Citristrip and leaving it on overnight.  We get all the stripper and varnish off, then use medium steel wool and mineral spirits to clean them off totally. Then we vacuum them and use a tack cloth. Few questions.  They are very smooth and no remains of varnish on them at all.The doors my husband is working on seem to be a more uniform color then mine when he's done scrubbing them with the steel wool.  Maybe it's because he's stronger and going a little deeper?  Will this have an effect on how it looks when it's stained?  Will his and mine come out the same?  I thought the  whole idea was to get the varnish off not have a uniform color.  Also, as far as the sides of the cabinets they are wood but the  and face frames are 1/8 inch veneer.  Will they all stain the same?  I think I would like to go with Jacobean as it stained the back of the door fine, but I didn't know if a Minwax wood finish like this could be used on veneer.  Thank you again in advance for your help!  Tricia

Answer
Hi again Tricia
Wow..you are moving right along. Congratulations.
If you are staining Jacobean, then both your work and your hubbys should come out the same as long as there is no finish left on the cabinets.
The sides of the cabinets should stain the same and staining veneers is no different than staining solid wood. The Minwax will not harm the veneer.
There has always been a misconception going around out there that veneer is different. Its not. Its wood just like the doors only thinner.
Please continue to keep me posted.
Sounds like you and your Hubby are doing great. I would be divorced by now LOL.
Kind Regards
Eileen