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Cabinets, Furniture, Woodworks/refinishing a kitchen Island

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Expert: - 5/17/2011


Question
The top of the Island appears to be butcher block. I Sanded it down and applied Minwax Polyshade stain in my color choice. It left little circles and scrape marks that didn't absorb the stain Is this because butcher block can't be stained or do I need to do something to it first?

Answer
Hi Sandy, Polyshades is not a stain...it is a colored polyurethane, and I would not have recommended you use it on a Butcher block. Most people maintain Butcher block with oils, either a drying oil like a Tung oil or danish oil, or a non drying oil like mineral oils or "Block" oils or even Butchers wax.Oil contamination or wax will cause "orange peel", areas where the finish may form little circles that look like the skin on an Orange, or will repel the finish. Sanding will not remove this kind of contamination, especially on an older Butcher block that has received many applications. A safer bet would have been an oil like Boos Mystery oil, or something like Waterlox Tung oil finish, but it's hard to know what the history of the Block is unless it's your history...Is this Island a food prep area?...and is it newish or an old Counter?

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Greg Scholl

Expertise

Questions on Woodworking, wood finishing and refinishing of all kinds, repairing furniture and wooden objects, Architectural details, Woodturning, carving, tool usage, product usage, some chemistry as it applies to woodworking and related interests,cabinet making and furniture construction/design, etc. I have experience with all manners of colorants, finishes, paints, stains, dyes, glazes, and coatings, wood species recognition and usage,tool recommendations, blade types and recommendation,techniques and methods for many Woodworking related issues, etc.

Experience

Fine furniture restorer and cabinet maker for over 30 years,serving high end Antique dealers, Interior designers, Collectors in the CT area. Consulting for area Painting/Decorating and Building contractors on non painting issues..(staining, wood prep.,clear finishing, floor restoration and architectural detail restoration and repair, etc.) Sold, built, serviced, setup Home, Industrial, and Commercial stationary woodworking tools for a major tool retailer in CT. for three years, sold hand and power tools , provided knowledge, parts replacement, service, and on site service, Trade show Demo, and training as well.

Publications
Published in Fine Woodworking Magazine (12/97), included on Fine Woodworkings first "Best of Fine Woodworking" CD-ROM (2002) ...("27 year compilation of expert know-how")

Education/Credentials
Art School at Silvermine Guild in Norwalk, CT., 9 year apprenticeship in a European run Cabinet and Restoration shop in CT., various classes on subjects having to do with the field. Seminars from major Tool manufacturers, Skil/Bosch, Delta, Powermatic, Ritter, Porter cable, Milwaukee, Dewalt/B&Decker, Performax.

Past/Present Clients
Many varied clients including work on Martha Stewarts' Westport, CT. show house, many fine Antique dealers and private collectors in and around Fairfield County and in Woodbury, CT. (the Antiques capital of CT.), Golden Age of Trucking Museum, Wilton Historical Society.

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