AboutGreg 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,usage,etc.
Experience Fine furniture restorer and cabinet maker for over 30 years,serving high end Antique dealers, Interior designers, Collectors in the CT area. 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, and offered instruction on use and care as well.I even have some Trade show Demo experience.
Organizations none at this time.
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"), local newspapers as well
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 by Major tool manufacturers, Delta, Powermatic, Performax, Porter Cable, Skil/Bosch to name a few.
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.) 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.), local Museums and Historical Societies.
Question ...And it was a very bad idea lol. The wood was already cheap and uneven to begin
with. It all looked great and felt smooth until I attempted to stain (Minwax Wood
Finish - oil based) then I was able to see in brilliant detail that many of the
scratches didn't sand out as well as I thought, and other areas are blotchy, dull,
and scuffed looking, and the places that I didn't mess up with my crappy sanding
are still not taking the stain evenly. (Yes, I wood conditioned, but I don't think it
helped.) In short - it looks terrible, and I'm adding this project to the list of things
I'm horrible at.
Unfortunately, I still have to fix it.
I thought about trying to go over it again with a darker stain - but it already
wasn't accepting a second coat, and I figured it would be a waste of money. The
can said apply additional coats after it was dry but I think it sealed it a little too
well, although it was not the combo stain/poly stuff, the additional coats did little
more than just wipe off.
SO, I have not used any protectant, or polyurethane yet, but I'm not sure how to
proceed, and am almost paralyzed at the though that I could make this even
worse yet lol. Say I wanted to paint over it all with a really dark lacquer... my
mother suggested a Krylon-like spray paint... can I just prime it and coat it down?
Should I go for real paint? Will this even work? I know that's unbelievably cheesy -
but I'm beginning to think that I just can't possibly make this table look any worse
at this point. Should I go ahead and try another coat of stain? Would an ultra dark
stain even make a difference?? Basically I just need it to look decent enough to
last until I can cut my losses and spring for a new table.
Thanks in advance!
Answer Hi Catherine, the problem is that you didn't strip the old finish off. This is a MUST when trying to refinish something like this. Sanding will not remove the finish evenly, leaving patches of old finish, wax, grease,etc., that will interfere with the job.You'll need to "bite the bullet" and get a good stripper and strip it all off, well.
"and the places that I didn't mess up with my crappy sanding
are still not taking the stain evenly."- you answered your own question here....a wood conditioner, like Minwax stain, will also only work on bare, properly prepared, wood.It's always hard to go backwards, but it's necessary sometimes when we realize we didn't approach the job correctly. The good news is that, in woodworking and finishing, you can do just that...and fix the damage. Post back if need be- I'll be here- Greg
