Tried to refinish my dining table with a kit from the hardware store

It said modern gray, but 3 hours into sanding I realized the stain was just blue-tinted watery paint that peeled off like sunburn. Had to strip everything down to bare wood on my apartment balcony in 90 degree heat. Anybody know a brand that actually holds up on oak?

2 comments

2 Comments

patriciacarr23h ago

Those kits are garbage. I stripped a dresser last summer and learned the hard way that any stain in a box with a "one step" finish is basically colored shellac. For oak, get General Finishes gel stain in Java. You wipe it on with a rag, let it sit 10 minutes, then wipe off the excess. No sanding bare wood needed, just clean it with mineral spirits first. Then topcoat with a wipe-on polyurethane, two coats minimum. Oak soaks up stain unevenly if you use liquid stuff, but gel sits on top and gives you control.

abby_robinson5822h ago

4 coats of wipe-on poly on oak? I had to do 5 on a table because the first 2 looked patchy. Patriciacarr, did you have any issues with the gel stain rubbing off into the poly on the first coat? I used a different brand and it kept muddying up.