Staining Unfinished Oak Cabinets, Need advice?
Question:I purchased unfinished oak cabinets and stained them red oak ( darker stain ) and then put two coats of semi gloss polyurethane on them. The problem is they still look unfinished and do not have a "shine" to them. What do I need to apply to make them look right?
Also, a couple of them stained totally different color shades and do not look like they are the same type of wood. Can I sand these down and reapply stain to attempt to match them or just apply more stain over the gloss finish?
Answers:
you need to finish your finish. that means to buff it down to the desired sheen. you can use real fine steal wool or sandpaper, with a lubricant. or you can buy a rubbing compound such as pumice and an oil. or even a polish of some kind.
First things' first. To get shinier, add more polyurethane, or increase the gloss to--you guessed it--"gloss." To adjust the color, you will have to go darker with the lighter faces since going lighter will require stripping off everything on the wood. To achieve a darker finish, try Minwax Polyshades. It is available at Lowes or Home Depot. It is stain mixed with polyurethane. You can adjust the color all you want. Bring two samples to the store--one light, one dark--and they can help you choose the right color to balance them both out.
Number one, you should use a high gloss polyurethane for desired shine, semi gloss is more of a mate finish. Second, you can sand the down to the woods natural color. After wards you need to apply the stain evenly using cheese clothe. Not all stains are created equally. the same brand in one can can be different from the first. I prefer to buy enough stain for the entire job. One of the best stains I have ever used, is tea and coffee. natural and you can drink the left overs.
Did you sand these pieces first, with fine grit sandpaper? If not, the stain will be absorbed unevenly and give you a bad finish.
It's also possible that different parts of the cabinet are different wood, or different grades of wood.
You can sand them down and start over if you wish.
More Related Questions & Answers...