I sprayed cherry end tables with a Solar Lux stain mixture this afternoon following instructions in Bob Flexner’s finishing book. I have used his “recipes” for finishing other woods and have always been pleased by the results. This was my first time to use his techniques on Cherry and I messed up. My sample board was far lighter than my tables. I know what my mistake was there, but I still have the problem.
I could live with the result, but it is a little dark for my taste. And I haven’t even applied the toner yet. My question is this, can I try to sand it down a little, and am I setting myself up for a multitude of problems down the road if I try? I know I can sand it all the way down, but thought I’d ask before going that route
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Before I started sanding, I would wipe the surface with water. You may get enough lightening to make you happy. (Even though it is mixed with ethyl glycol, ngr stains are essentially water based stain.)
If it is still too dark you can start over without sanding--as long as you have not overcoated the dye with a sealer. Chlorine bleach will eliminate the color. Fresh bleach, several applications may be needed. Or pool chlorine. TEST bleach on samples of the same wood to be sure there isn't an impact on the basic wood color.
Thank you, the water did the job.
EXCELLENT tips of ideas! I had no idea you could lighten a stain by (in essence) washing it out.
NOw this does raise the grain quite a bit, YES?
I didn't notice too much grain raising, but I ran a fine sandpaper over it anyway. It was used, about a 320 grit. A minor problem I saw in the light of day was a little splotching. Since it was on the back panel and high up on the rear legs, I just applied my seal coat. A glue squeezeout line was accentuated, too. Again luck was with me, this was on an inside joint so it didn't matter. It looks good after the sealer, better than I deserve anyway.
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