This is my first time doing any kind of staining/finishing/woodanything.

This is birch from home depot. I sanded it, put varathane pre stain on it and used one of their oil based stains. The poly based finish is also made by varathane. I used a brush

Does it look okay to sand down and put another coat of finish? There are bumps and the coat feels very uneven. Some spots are glass smooth and others feel sticky. it's been about three days so nothing is wet

thanks!

Looking to refinish the top of this oak table to match the base. Any idea what type of finish this is on the base?

Suggestions for finishing outdoor table. U sure of what the spots are, some are impossible to sand away.

Whats the best way to refinish and protect the wood for a wet El Niño California winter?

Hello, working on a vintage watch makers cabinet. All looks swell other than the top…..

How do I fix, or do I need to remove and re-coat? Am I being too picky…? I feel like it’s an eyesore

I am using bullseye shellac out of can, thinned out with denatured alcohol

It looks like oak or ash. Obviously deep grain. But it appears that it's white in the grain but also painted ?

The bars have been sprayed with Valspar enamel cabinet paint with good results looks wise. The downside of this finish is that clean-up can be tough, especially with wine stains. I use a magic eraser to get the harder stains and marks out; this ruins the sheen/finish.

I am looking to either topcoat this paint with clear or use something different altogether. I did a quick sample of minwax polycrylic over the cabinet paint and it seemed to have yellowed. That said, I painted some scrap plywood with one coat and hit it with the poly 2 days later.

I'm currently building myself another bar and also building 2 on commission. Would like to make cleaning easy for these customers.

Biggest ask: Durable and easy to clean without worry of staining

What do you suggest?

I bought this MCM piece that had an abused top (see last photo) and after sanding down and then staining, I was surprised to see these areas that won't take on the stain. I have no idea what substance is there that is causing this. I tried applying a bit more stain to those spots using a q-tip 2 days after the initial staining, but no luck. Any suggestions?

We had a beautiful bench made for our table and we wanted to try and compliment the bench with the table color. However, the process felt rushed and we chose a color that were not happy with.

The top could be sanded and restained but the problem is the front is bendable plywood with a very thin luan veneer we wouldn’t want to sand through. Could we slightly lighten the wood and even the stain with toner? Or should we buy veneer and go that route?

I am working on some custom drawer fronts for my daughter’s room (tree branches modeled in Blender then CNC router cut out from pine) and using gel stain made it really uneven :/

But after sanding them down (120 grit then 220 grit) I applied multiple coats of gel stain and it is super splotchy despite my best efforts to keep it even (I initially used prestain on each of them. The two darker ones have 3 coats and the the other four have 2 coats. I kept adding coats hoping that the splotchiness would improve)

I need help! Are they salvageable? Should I use paint thinner or something like Citristrip to remove the gel stain and then use an oil based stain instead?

Thank you for your help- I’m definitely an amateur with this

Need to finish it a little darker and maybe high gloss- best options?

I was about to do this, but then I read somewhere that PolyX has slightly different properties. Is this true? I want to apply one layer of 3072 colored oil and then top it with 3028 clear satin. Is this the right approach?

I’m looking for some technical insight from people experienced in industrial furniture finishing, coating adhesion, and manufacturing process control.
We recently purchased a dining table that had been on display in a furniture showroom for several months without any apparent issues. Within a few weeks of bringing it home, the dark brown finish began deteriorating.
Observed failure:
● Initially, one area became sticky and rubbery. The dark pigmented coating could be rubbed or peeled away, exposing a much lighter surface underneath.
● Additional areas have since developed a wrinkled, almost dry-skin-like appearance, with the finish lifting and beginning to separate.
● These newer areas have not been picked at or disturbed.
● The affected spots are concentrated within approximately one quadrant of the tabletop.
● We have not used chemical cleaners, allowed standing water, or placed hot dishes directly on the surface. Coasters and protective pads are used.
● The table is exposed to normal residential temperature and humidity variations in Colorado, with some intermittent direct sunlight.
My questions for those familiar with manufacturing and finishing processes:
1. What failure mechanisms could produce this combination of wrinkling, gummy texture, and loss of adhesion? Does this suggest incomplete curing, incompatible coating layers, poor surface preparation, or something else?
2. What process controls are typically used to ensure proper adhesion between stain, pigmented glaze, sealer, and topcoat layers? For example, cure times, temperature/humidity controls, surface cleanliness, coating thickness, and intercoat adhesion testing.
3. Could a finish pass initial visual inspection and remain intact for months, only to begin failing after a change in environmental conditions?
4. Does localized failure in one quadrant suggest an application/process variation, or would you expect a manufacturing defect to affect the entire tabletop?
5. What testing or inspection methods could help distinguish a manufacturing adhesion/cure defect from damage caused by external exposure?
I’m currently working with the retailer, who is forwarding photographs to the manufacturer. I’m not looking to assign blame prematurely. I’d like to better understand the failure mechanism, what manufacturing controls should prevent it, and whether a localized repair would be reliable or a replacement is warranted.

I’m looking for some technical insight from people experienced in industrial furniture finishing, coating adhesion, and manufacturing process control.
We recently purchased a dining table that had been on display in a furniture showroom for several months without any apparent issues. Within a few weeks of bringing it home, the dark brown finish began deteriorating.
Observed failure:
● Initially, one area became sticky and rubbery. The dark pigmented coating could be rubbed or peeled away, exposing a much lighter surface underneath.
● Additional areas have since developed a wrinkled, almost dry-skin-like appearance, with the finish lifting and beginning to separate.
● These newer areas have not been picked at or disturbed.
● The affected spots are concentrated within approximately one quadrant of the tabletop.
● We have not used chemical cleaners, allowed standing water, or placed hot dishes directly on the surface. Coasters and protective pads are used.
● The table is exposed to normal residential temperature and humidity variations in Colorado, with some intermittent direct sunlight.
My questions for those familiar with manufacturing and finishing processes:
1. What failure mechanisms could produce this combination of wrinkling, gummy texture, and loss of adhesion? Does this suggest incomplete curing, incompatible coating layers, poor surface preparation, or something else?
2. What process controls are typically used to ensure proper adhesion between stain, pigmented glaze, sealer, and topcoat layers? For example, cure times, temperature/humidity controls, surface cleanliness, coating thickness, and intercoat adhesion testing.
3. Could a finish pass initial visual inspection and remain intact for months, only to begin failing after a change in environmental conditions?
4. Does localized failure in one quadrant suggest an application/process variation, or would you expect a manufacturing defect to affect the entire tabletop?
5. What testing or inspection methods could help distinguish a manufacturing adhesion/cure defect from damage caused by external exposure?
I’m currently working with the retailer, who is forwarding photographs to the manufacturer. I’m not looking to assign blame prematurely. I’d like to better understand the failure mechanism, what manufacturing controls should prevent it, and whether a localized repair would be reliable or a replacement is warranted.

We have a very large older redwood deck in the Northern California redwood forest. Not much sun, but a lot of non-stop rain in the winter. Freshly sanded with 120 grit. Looking into staining and protection that lasts and looks good with the natural redwood look. We were wondering if we should use the Wood Conditioner and if it works with the Penofin and Cabot Australian oil that we have, or if there are any other better ideas or there, or any tips or tricks to get the best results for the longest lasting, and best looking results. Thanks.

Is this worth it? It's so pretty but also v heavy and I'm pretty handy but want some idea of what I'm getting into time /difficulty wise

Hi! I inherited this giant butcher block table that is likely around 50 years old. Maybe 10 years ago I sanded the entire surface down and since then have just used butcher block oil to maintain it, without any actual finish.

Now that I have a 6 month old, I am thinking it will need a proper finish. I’m looking for something that is durable, high protection, hopefully easy to apply, and something that won’t change the tone/color of the wood. I’ve heard water based poly could be a good option?

Other questions: should I do a full / light sanding before finishing? Any thoughts on the movement and raised edge in the middle? And am I correct in thinking I should finish both the top and bottom of the table?

Thanks so much! We love this table and want it to last.

Our kitchen table finish was becoming really sticky, and my wife wanted a different color anyway, so we stripped it down to bare wood and sanded progressively until 220 grit. Our table is pine I believe.

My wife then applied a mini wax oil ebony stain. She did wipe off the excess, but I don’t know how thorough she was at doing this. We waited about 30 hours and I just applied Natura OneCoat hard oil finish. It was immediately clear that the oil was taking off the stain. It’s so dang splotchy now (it doesn’t look quite as bad as the pictures show in person but it’s still pretty bad). When I buffed off the excess oil you can see my rag just completely black.

What happened here? Was it the 220? The lack of being thorough with wiping off excess stain? The use of a cheap stain? Or is hard wax oil just incompatible with oil based stain? I’ve used natura onecoat on a lot of things and loved the outcome, but never on stained wood.

I figure to fix this I need to wait for it to cure then strip it down again.

Our table may look like crap, but at least it’s not sticky anymore.

I have a Restoration Hardware Reclaimed Russian Oak Baluster dining table in Natural Oak. The table has a large, irregular white water stain that’s approximately two years old.

The wood is described by RH as unfinished reclaimed oak. I’ve never applied wax, oil, or any protective treatment.

The stained area feels exactly like the surrounding wood—no roughness, raised grain, or difference in texture.

I’d love to remove or significantly reduce the discoloration without sanding away the original weathered patina or changing the natural color of the table.

Has anyone successfully treated a similar stain on unfinished reclaimed oak? Would clear furniture wax help, or is another treatment more appropriate?

Photos attached. Thanks for any advice!