Spent 4 hours trying to fix a blotchy stain on a walnut table

I was working on a walnut dining table last week and the stain came out looking like a patchwork quilt. Took me way too long to realize I forgot to use a pre-stain conditioner before applying the oil-based stain. Finally figured it out after sanding it back down twice, which cost me a whole Saturday afternoon. Has anyone else had that sinking feeling when you wipe on the stain and see it's all uneven?

2 comments

2 Comments

keith26429d ago

The pre-stain conditioner would've saved you a lot of grief, but honestly even with it walnut can be a pain if the grain is really wild. I've had good luck using a gel stain instead on tricky pieces, it sits on top more instead of soaking in uneven.

wesley_thompson28d ago

Can totally relate to that sick feeling when you wipe on the stain and see it's all splotchy and uneven. Did the same thing on an oak nightstand a few months back, spent three hours sanding it down with 80 grit then 120, then 220, just to get back to bare wood. Ended up using a gel stain too, like the other commenter mentioned, and it actually came out really nice and even. Walnut is definitely a wild card with that open grain, and I've learned the hard way that skipping the conditioner is like asking for trouble. Makes you wonder why they don't just put a warning sticker on the can or something. Felt so dumb after finally getting it right on the third try.