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We have new, fir, five-panel stain-grade doors that do not take stain well. They look blotchy. It is a cherry stain (Minwax Polyshades, I think), and required up to 7 coats to reach the client’s desired shade. The first time the doors were stained, it was applied by hand. When the result was unsatisfactory, they were sanded down and then a sprayer was used to apply the stain, but they still do not look good. Any suggestions?
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Replies
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Jennifer,
I have had to use the Minwax Wood Conditioner as a pre-treatment for softwoods before to allow the stain to achieve an even coverage. Pine doors will give the same blotchy result. Using the conditioner has given me great results.
I've heard of guys using sanding sealer as well in place of the conditioner but I have never tried it.
Good luck!
Mike Rimoldi
*Another option is to a gel stain. That is more like a thinned paint and it stays on the surface. Must less prone to slotching. Also it can be worked to darken and lighten areas.I have never used polyshades, which is not a true stain, but a varnish with pignment, but many people that I know that have used say that is gives problems.
*Jennifer,Sanding sealer works fine, though I've used the Minwax conditioner on my last batch of doors...Stain comes out nice and even...It's an extra step, but goes pretty fast. Good Luck!
*Poly shades should be outlawed. There is simply no place for it, anywhere.I would be very surprised if you don't end up replacing these doors, after seven coats the collection of color in the details preclude anything close to an acceptable finish.sorry...
*If it took seven coats to reach the client's desired shade, then you are using the wrong color and hoping that many coats will make it darker. Polyshades doesn't work like that. It will look horrible no matter what you do with that many coats. If it does not reach the desired shade in two coats, it's the wrong color.Try finding the right color. If you can't find the right color, blend your own. You can't blend polyshades, so you'll have to use a standard stain. You will have to use a sealer (poly, varnish, etc...) after staining, but you can custom mix colors pretty easily.Sounds like you were trying to do the job as cheaply as possible (labor wise). That is the only reason anyone would use a product like polyshades. It lets you skip a step, wich in turn keeps labor costs down.As you are finding out, it doesn't work that way. The shortcut is costing you more in labor than if you would have used a regular stain, and a sealing product over it.Live and learn.James DuHamel
*"You can't blend polyshades,"Oh really? Wrong.
*According to Min Wax customer service reps (actually their tech reps) polyshades was never meant to be blended. They highly recommended that I not do it, and if I needed a custom color, to use their oil based stains to mix one up. Then after the stain dries, apply one of their polyurethane finishes. I suppose it can be mixed, but I wouldn't recommend it, nor would I ever do it. The reps said it would not turn out like I want, and they wouldn't guarantee that it would even look good at all. Since this is THEIR product, I tend to agree with THEM. Now if you are talking about applying a color OVER a dried color, maybe it would do ok. Point is, Polyshades was designed to be a one step stain/sealant. Apply it, let it dry, apply a second coat if necessary, let it dry, and your done. Custom mixing it is a bad idea, but then again, so is applying seven coats. James DuHamel
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We have new, fir, five-panel stain-grade doors that do not take stain well. They look blotchy. It is a cherry stain (Minwax Polyshades, I think), and required up to 7 coats to reach the client's desired shade. The first time the doors were stained, it was applied by hand. When the result was unsatisfactory, they were sanded down and then a sprayer was used to apply the stain, but they still do not look good. Any suggestions?