Staining Question

[Mary K]

I was staining the trim last night and it was going on good until I got the the bottom trim on the hatch. There are spots that absorbed the stain more. They look like splatter, like something was splattered on the wood and it absorbed the stain more and is darker. Sorry not pics yet.

I wiped all the trim down with mineral spirits before applying the stain and this piece of trim was one of the last areas to be stained so it had been plenty of time to dry.

Anywho, I'll never figure out what was splattered on it, but does anyone have some tips how I might fix it. I was going to try sanding the spot tonight or making the surrounding area darker.


Thanks,
Mk

[Podunkfla]

Sanding it sounds like what I'd try first... or maybe just going after the dark spots with a curved card scraper then lightly sand? It is kinda odd for something splashed to make wood get darker??? Usually something like that keeps it from taking stain.

[Mary K]

Yeah, thats what I thought also. It's crazy ain't it?
I'll get pic's tonight.

Thanks Brick.

Mk

[Juneaudave]

There was an article in Fine Woodworking about a month ago about fixing finishing boo-boos on cabinet drawers. After you post pics, and I have a better idea, and I'll look it up for you and see what it says!!!

[tk]

MK, Sounds like water spotting. If water is splashed on some woods it will leave permanently darkened stains. If you know it when it happens (such as getting caught in the rain while carrying an unfinished cabinet into a building), you can wipe down the whole project with water then finish sand to remove the raised grain. If you don't catch it immediately, you pretty much have to sand the spots out and, in this case, re-stain. Cherry is very succeptable to this and I've seen it on oak as well.

Best,
Tom

[Mary K]

MK, Sounds like water spotting. If water is splashed on some woods it will leave permanently darkened stains. If you know it when it happens (such as getting caught in the rain while carrying an unfinished cabinet into a building), you can wipe down the whole project with water then finish sand to remove the raised grain. If you don't catch it immediately, you pretty much have to sand the spots out and, in this case, re-stain. Cherry is very succeptable to this and I've seen it on oak as well.

Best,
Tom

This is most likely what happened. That end of the TD is at the end of the carport and even though I did have a tarp over it, a hard blowing rain could have done it.

Here are the pic's




Could have also been sweat!! Its been darn HOT!!

Okay, I will work on sanding... AGAIN!!! Just as well, I found some swirls (from a POS sander) in the wood I need to sand out also...

Thanks everybody.

Mk

[Mary K]

Oh Shhhhhh......er, I know what happened!!! It was me and my late night carport cleaning spree....

I pulled everything out of the carport Saturday night and washed the carport down with the hose. Getting ready for staining and urethaining and getting rid of dust.....Well, of course if you set a water hose sprayer down it's going to land on the handle 99% of the time and start spraying.... Usualy AT you. Not this time though. I didn't know the made it as far as the TD, or I would have dried it off..Son of a Biscuit eater!!:fb

I am my own worst enemy!! I'm putting myself on my Spanky list.

[Podunkfla]

Ahhh... But the good news is it should sand out pretty easily? You can also mask it off at the joints and then sand down the whole board so you won't have to blend new and old stain? Just me thoughts on the boo boo. Gosh, if that's the biggest one ya made on the tear your doin great!

[apratt]

Mary you could alway call it leopard wood.

[elmo]

It kind of looks like splatter from a faulty jelly filled donut!

[Mary K]

Dang-it Elmo, how'd ya figure it out?? Shhhush!! I was hiding behind the TD sneaking a Donut or 2...

Arthur, Good one!!!

Brick, Thank Ya! I will be a sanding tonight!!! And Its not my biggest oopsie, trust me...you should see....ah..never mind.

Thanks everyone!

Mk

[Podunkfla]

It kind of looks like splatter from a faulty jelly filled donut!

Now THAT'S funny... Done in by donut juice!!???

I had a helper that had the bad habit of leaving whatever he was drinking
sitting around on stuff... Getting coffee stains out of new wood is a bitch.
He's in jail now!

(Not because of the coffee rings... because he was a thief bigtime)

[Classic Finn]

But Mary K ....But why hide it.... You can proudly show it off and tell folks of the Blood Sweat and Tears that went into building your beautiful tear..

It goes with the territory.... Geee why am I laughing.... I know the Blood, Sweat and Tears and Cussn... this build has been...

Not to mention Beauracracy....


Classic Finn

[Miriam C.]

Awe Mary K I missed the pictures. I'm sorry your stain boo booed. I sure hope it gets better. Now lets not go to the extreme of the spanky list over a bit of spilt water.

[Mary K]

Thank you all! I sanded a spot on it last night and it does come out. BUT you can not just sand a spot...you have to sand all of it or the stain just gets darker around it and light where you sanded. I will post more pic's when I fix it just for the record.

I hope all my goof ups help keep other folks from doing the same thing.

Mk