FINISHING BLUNDERS: Why wood stain comes off

A common problem with a simple solution that may just save your next project.
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[StumpyNubs]

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[justinalang]

Any mistake too bad to fix can just be called "distressed" or "rustic".

[howardskillington]

Better yet: apply a shellac seal coat over the stain before the poly. Shellac is compatible with any other finish and puts a hard scratch barrier beneath your clear coat.

[Gatsby]

Best advice in any shop mistake "don't panic"

[davidpalmer]

Don't forget about the great Charles Neil's the stained surface with shellac before applying the top coat. Sure do miss that guy.

[richragan]

What you do for us plus all this editing is what helps make me a better woodworker. Thank you!

[HandlebarWorkshops]

I always use a coat or two of dewaxed shellac between stain/dye and my desired top coat. Zinsser sells a SealCoat shellac if you don't want to mix your own.

[matthewhall]

You never really said what you guys did to fix Danny's problem specifically. What solution did you guys deploy with him to fix the issue he had on your dark contemporary cabinet?

[mikeherbst]

I'm pretty set on spray finishes whenever possible. 😊👍

[johnfithian-franks]

Hi Charles, would you get the same problem with a water based poly?

[stanleydenning]

I find that spraying on the poly is a good solution. First coat very light. Then heaver coats after that.

[markhedquist]

I'm definitely lacking in finishing skills, so thanks for the tip. I do have a question: will the dry stain on the surface inhibit bonding of the polyurethane? I have seen peeling poly on pieces and wondered if this was the problem. 🤔

[pawpawstew]

Good stuff, James. Honestly, I'm still learning about various finishing techniques although I've stained a lot of wood in my 57 years. I guess when you stop learning, it's time to hang it up. I've gotten to where I won't brush on polyurethane any more. I use Deft spray cans because I don't have a dedicated poly sprayer. However, with the knowledge I've gained from guys like you and from the Maker's Playground of which I'm a member, I'm ready to explore other finishes like shellac and varnish. Maybe a video on clear finishes, hiw/when to use them, plus pros and cons would be a good follow-up video to this one.

[SplitShifter]

Hi! I was looking to subscribe to your email list. However, there seems to be a problem submitting my information on your page. Is there another way to be added to the list? I'm getting a message every time I try to submit my info. The message reads "Your submission was not processed.
As of 1st April 2020 we are not processing form submissions without recaptchaV2."

[MyPronounsISwhom]

Since I started getting into woodworking I would come across your videos and I always felt like they weren't of the content in which I was seeking, and I'd always feel myself skipping to another video like halfway through, not thinking that I was getting the information I needed... And maybe I was maybe I wasn't, but I've been branching out into more wooded territory and I'm realizing that your content has been filled to the brim with information and tips, no tricks and it could be more satisfied with your channel. You got me through some potentially tough spots, and I've succeeded only doing a few jobs all for no money but with great reward. Thank you for your work.

[AbouTheMagnanimus]

Or - and just hear me out - you build an outdoor shed and fume the oak with blueprinter's ammonia. Go totally old school.

Then you don't have to worry about pigment coming off your wood.

[deyyoung]

Thanks James!
I had a similar problem last month with refinishing a farm kitchen table. The stain was not taking well. Turned out I was sanding to finely (220), and the stain was not penetrating. I took a 180 pad back across the whole surface and stained again. Turned out great (at least, the wife thinks so and that's all that matters).

[jackostergaard]

I was building a wedding trellis for my son's out door wedding. Due to covid I ended up using Doug Fir 4x4s. Supposedly KD. The joinery open up the pieces and the KD became a suspicious label. The bride had requested a dark stain. I got dark oil based stain, didn't mix it as much as I should have and liberally applied with a throwaway brush. Neglecting to read the instructions I didn't wipe the excess from the surface as I had achieved the proper color. When I went to assemble the parts the next day I found that nothing was dry. Color was coming off on my hands. I grabbed some paper towels and wiped away not having much effect. The next day I was repeating the process. And the next. At which point I called the paint company - "HELP". The answer was to get several clean rags and a can of mineral spirits. Soaking the rags in mineral spirits I wiped down every surface. Although pigment came up enough still remained for the desired effect. And lo and behold after a few hours the surface was dry to the touch. I repeated the process on some areas as needed - mostly end grain where the stain had been applied thicker. Finally - again following the paint company instructions I applied a clear polycoat - again with a throwaway brush. Thankfully the project was finished on time and the dark stain did not come off on the bride's gown (my panic moment!)

[mariushegli]

I have nothing to say really, but I appreciate your content, and wish to help with the yt-algorithms.

[lkj]

Water based finish? Should not act as a solvent on penetrating stains.