I have a little side table that came with my Arctic Fox RV. It had a deep scratch in it and I also wanted to use it as a test case for eventually refinishing the dining room table.I started sanding with 100, then 150, then 220, and finally 320 with a palm sander. The scratch was gone as well as the original stain and the surface felt very smooth. It actually looked like it was constructed of Oak boards with varying tones. Some light and some reddish.I read up on the Minwax system and it recommended oil Pre-Stain for soft woods and also was said to help the stain look more uniform. I applied as directed.Right now I'm at two coats of 235 Cherry (as mentioned on the Northwoods RV forum) to be a close match to the original stain.I was disappointed in the darkness of the two coats of stain so I did more googling and found that I had made a mistake in sanding the wood so smooth. Apparently the rougher the wood surface the darker the stain will appear.I'm in a quandary as how to proceed from here. Should I try two or three more coats of the 235 stain and see how it looks? Would a gel stain have more pigment and give me a darker result? Should I "unsand" the surface back to 150 or 220?

Resanding 120 and 150 should help.

Be sure to use an oil based finish, I really like Helmsman Spar Urethane Clear Satin. It will give you a more rich color. Water based looks like you PIZZED on it.Hit it with 120 then 220 and re try the stain.

^^Agree……..Also, the longer you wait before removing the excess oil, the darker it will be. I usually wait no longer than about 15 minutes before rubbing it off. I like to sneak up on the tone. Might take an extra coat, but better chance to get it close.

You state you think the wood is OAK (a hard wood) so why did you use a stain for Soft Wood?

"I read up on the Minwax system and it recommended oil Pre-Stain for soft woods and also was said to help the stain look more uniform."

Need help from experienced woodworker | Good Sam Community

phillyg
Explorer II
Aug 07, 2022
Resanding 120 and 150 should help.
Cummins12V98
Explorer III
Aug 07, 2022
Be sure to use an oil based finish, I really like Helmsman Spar Urethane Clear Satin. It will give you a more rich color. Water based looks like you PIZZED on it.

Hit it with 120 then 220 and re try the stain.
ssthrd
Explorer
Aug 07, 2022
^^Agree……..
Also, the longer you wait before removing the excess oil, the darker it will be. I usually wait no longer than about 15 minutes before rubbing it off. I like to sneak up on the tone. Might take an extra coat, but better chance to get it close.
Michelle_S
Explorer III
Aug 07, 2022
You state you think the wood is OAK (a hard wood) so why did you use a stain for Soft Wood?
obie311
Explorer II
Aug 07, 2022
"I read up on the Minwax system and it recommended oil Pre-Stain for soft woods and also was said to help the stain look more uniform."
obie311
Explorer II
Aug 07, 2022
Cummins12V98 wrote:
Be sure to use an oil based finish, I really like Helmsman Spar Urethane Clear Satin. It will give you a more rich color. Water based looks like you PIZZED on it.

Hit it with 120 then 220 and re try the stain.

Thanks. I did use an oil based Minwax.
Durb
Explorer
Aug 07, 2022
Oak is an open grain hardwood. The first coat of an oil stain will pretty much determine the color. Additional coats will add some depth but not change the color much. A different colored stain may be required. Stains should always be tested in an obscured area. In my experience, trying to match a piece by staining is difficult.

When the manufacturer finished the wood, they sealed it. Surface sanding may give the appearance of bare wood, but it still might be sealed and not accept stain as readily. You might try treating it with a liquid paint remover. Then sand, and try again as mentioned in your other forum.
stickdog
Explorer
Aug 09, 2022
If you think you have hand rubbed finishes your on the wrong track. I plan to refinish our present kitchen table. Not concerned with the wood they say the finish is cherry, that's what it will be replaced with.
Sjm9911
Explorer
Aug 09, 2022
Durb wrote:
Oak is an open grain hardwood. The first coat of an oil stain will pretty much determine the color. Additional coats will add some depth but not change the color much. A different colored stain may be required. Stains should always be tested in an obscured area. In my experience, trying to match a piece by staining is difficult.

When the manufacturer finished the wood, they sealed it. Surface sanding may give the appearance of bare wood, but it still might be sealed and not accept stain as readily. You might try treating it with a liquid paint remover. Then sand, and try again as mentioned in your other forum.

Ill agree, I always use clearwood before staining. I think it helps to open up the wood grain to accept stain or paint.
Sjm9911
Explorer
Aug 09, 2022
Cleanwood, sorry.
https://www.maxwarehouse.com/products/wood-clnr-clnwde-qt