Need some info

[jasmine64]

Ok this is waaaayyyyy off the soda machines but I need advice.

Have any of you guys ever refinished furniture?

The reason I ask is I have my mothers old bedroom furniture and I have sanded off the old varnish/finish off of it, now my problem is, when stained it's like 4 or 5 different pieces of wood together to make up this furniture. It looks strange when the stain goes on the different wood, the pieces take it different. Some light some dark.

now my problem is, do I thin some paint (not stain) and spray it a color like antique oak? Or a nice brown from Sherwin Williams color pallet?

[aspbear1]

Jasmine, did you apply a sanding sealer before you applied the stain.  If you are dealing with a soft wood or a old hard wood it sometimes will accept the stain at different levels because of the grain being opened from sanding.

If you apply a sanding sealer it will let the stain all go the same depth into the wood.  Try re sanding and then a sanding sealer...I hate to see real wood painted

[jasmine64]

I use the minwax wood conditioner that it called for, so it still came out light and dark on different pieces.

I'd love to find a medium I can work with before painting it.

Thank goodness it's only been the night table I've worked on. It was in the saddest shape. The rest is great.
Just needed refinidhing. The finish showed lots of wear and tear. The wood itself is great. Just several different kinds mixed.

[aspbear1]

Try sanding it again and then get a sanding sealer.  It should smooth out the stain.  If the old finish was bad, what you may be seeing is the effects of years of everything from water to oils being absorded into the wood.  The parts that were not in heavy use but without the sanding sealer you may get some different colors.  Miniwax is good for raw wood but is not good for the older woods....

[jasmine64]

Thanks, I'll do some research and see what can be done. I know a guy that reupholseters I may give him a call to see what he knows.

[Lulu]

Jasmine,

I agree with Aspbear1.  Try the sanding sealer.  How dark of finish are you applying?  I have applied more coats of stain to the wood that is lighter in color, also left a heavier coat of stain on the lighter stuff (don't rub as much off).  It is something that you just have to play with.  Don't paint it until you are totally frustrated and are ready to put it on the burn pile!!

[jasmine64]

As soon as it warms up some today, I'm going back out and apply some more stain to the lighter pieces.

This is something I definately want to keep. So I'm going to research as much as possible.