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HELP -- I've made a mess of things!
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HELP -- I've made a mess of things! |
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serenity blaze Member Empyrean
since 2000-02-02
Posts 27738
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sigh... My beautiful French doors.  Now normally I can stain wood fairly well, but the husband insisted on using Polyshades, (stain and poly combined) and you guessed it, they look awful. I have streaks and drips in the grooves, and I am so weary of sanding... Any suggestions from any carpenter types out there? Even the parts that stained smooth still have a bubbly texture to them--and YES, I did prepare them for staining very carefully too. sigh I know this is a slight matter in the grand scheme of things, but these are the first doors I've had to call mine--um, EVER. And I wanted them to be pretty.  |
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Nan
Administrator
Member Seraphic
since 1999-05-20
Posts 21191Cape Cod Massachusetts USA |
And they WILL be pretty... But I'd bet you'll need to resand to get down to a good surface again. You might want to take a bit of a break to let your enthusiasm resurface. Would you like to do some painting for me in the meantime? I've got plenty left to do...  |
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serenity blaze Member Empyrean
since 2000-02-02
Posts 27738 |
If you saw what I did to my doors, you wouldn't let me near a paintbrush Nanners. pout sigh Even in my artwork I never much cared for a brush. (I work mostly in chalks and charcoal) It's just so tedious....whine...whine...  WINE! Now that would make them look better, huh?  |
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Not A Poet Member Elite
since 1999-11-03
Posts 3885Oklahoma, USA |
I'm afraid you'll make them look right without completely removing the bad finish. Adding any more will only darken things and probably mostly in the areas you don't want it to. Rather than try to sand of that varnish, you might have quicker success using a stripper first. I have had good luck with most of those based on citric acid. They're plenty potent and don't have that awful chemical smell. After that, clean up with lacquer thinner, maybe even mixed with denatured alcohol, then finish up with sanding. I'm guessing the doors are pine or fir. Either way, the wood can be hard to stain. While you're at the store getting some regular stain without varnish, get a can of prestain wood conditioner and apply it according to the can instructions. I think you'll be happy with the results. Pete |
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serenity blaze Member Empyrean
since 2000-02-02
Posts 27738 |
sigh Pete? Would you come do it FOR me? *battin' eyelashes* (not that I think that'll work, I tried that already and apparently I have lost my powers, but then, the husband is a huge deterent in that) I told him if he'd let me date, I could have the entire house fixed in a year. |
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Midnitesun
since 2001-05-18
Posts 28647Gaia |
So it's way too late to tell you not to use a combo stain/finish  *sigh* I'd help if I lived closer.  I know that doesn't help much. The only way as far as I know is to strip it back down, seal and stain and NEVER use one of those combos. I used something like that once on an art project, and it was an awful mess, I had to start over again. Wasted time and money, and I was never really happy with the end result. Like Nan suggested, I'd set it aside and finish some smaller project first, then come back at it with a vengeance, or at least with a fresh smile! Oh, and does that hubby have some valuable treasured wood carving you could... ahem...refinish for him? LOL I can be bad.  |
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Sunshine
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-25
Posts 63354Listening to every heart |
Oh, I don't know...a little wine, a little stripping...sounds as if to me, sweetie, you'll have things just right in no time! *clink* |
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ice Member Elite
since 2003-05-17
Posts 3404Pennsylvania |
Serenity You can remove the polyshades with a methylene chloride type paint remover, ask at a paint store for the product...since most of the stain is suspended in the emollient, the pigment in the polyshades might not have penetrated the wood deeply... It all depends on what kind of wood the doors are made of....you are sure they are wood and not fiberglass, right? If they are fiberglass, the product that you used will make a huge, blotchy mess.. Maple and some pines blotch easily anyway, and sometimes require special treatment... Anyway, if you get most of the stain off with the remover, make sure you sand with the grain.if you use regular sand paper or a sanding block..A small random- orbital sander will work better, you can go in any direction you want.. I use a porter cable with a 5 inch round pad that has velcro to hold on the sand paper, about $60 at home depot or the like. After you have it sanded, use either a gel stain or other type of pigmented stain...there again if you can tell what kind of wood it is it would help me recommend a more specific product... If you do decide to still use the polyshades there are a few cautions... Wipe it off in less time then they tell you to...If it says 10 minutes, wipe it off in 6...The directions are for laboratory conditions and humidity and temperature have a lot to do with the timing. Make sure you use one or more coats of clear polyurethane over the original product (if you use polyshades)...the finish you come up will darken within a few months, keep it on the lightside of where you want it finally..use solvent (oil) based clear poly for this application to, give you a harder, and thus more protective finish.... --------------ice ><> |
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serenity blaze Member Empyrean
since 2000-02-02
Posts 27738 |
smiling once again... I think I just needed a nap. The doors are pine, and yes, I discovered that certain portions of the wood wouldn't take the stain as well others. And then I was trying to match the shade of my bookshelves, which are made of birchwood, but all in all, I think once the tears are dry, I'll be up and at it again. Thanks all. Ya'll are great.  |
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Sunshine
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-25
Posts 63354Listening to every heart |
Aren't the men just great? |
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Masked Intruder
Moderator
Senior Member
since 1999-05-23
Posts 1231Near golden sunsets |
I was going to recommend a match. But, most likely, the other recommendations seem more...hmmm....realistic. |
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Larry C
since 2001-09-10
Posts 10286United States |
Hey Silly, They look fine from my place!  If tears could build a stairway and memories a lane, I'd walk right up to heaven and bring you home again. |
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serenity blaze Member Empyrean
since 2000-02-02
Posts 27738 |
I took Nan's advice. I took the break. I'm still waiting for my enthusiasm to re-surface. (after I used some steel wool on the more annoying parts) and Larry? I hope they look good from there. I still don't have curtains on 'em either. and Nan? I dunno. The longer I wait, the more I start thinking of those drips and blotches as "character". Thanks all. I was having a moment.  |
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Sunshine
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-25
Posts 63354Listening to every heart |
 To Moments! |
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