oak veneer door - refinish surface help!

5 years ago

I am done some basic furniture diy refinishing in the past. As you see In photos, I tried to improve a basic oak door, to remove some blemishes and places where a shiny coating had come off (tape). We are renovating the bathroom it’s attached to so I didn’t want to leave the door in it’s rough state.

The current state is hopelessly blotchy. I was aware I couldn’t sand too much off, since I didn’t want to break through the veneer.

Pictures:

sanded (80 w orbital and then 220 by hand), with one coat of oil based stain. I started the second coat (bottom, slightly darker), but wasn’t seeing much improvement.

2)side that isn’t touched, for reference.

I’m surprised the veneer sanding couldn’t yield a more consistent surface. Where did I go wrong?

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Comments (5)

kudzu9
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Veneers on doors these days are very thin, and it looks to me that, even though you were careful, you started to sand through the veneer where those blotches are. Although the grain is still visible, I think you got to a level where the glue holding the veneer on is interfering with the stain. You might try some kind of opaque stain on that door, but I think it will be impossible to make the blotches disappear with the type of finish you are using. At best, you might be able to mask them. Sorry....
millworkman
5 years ago
Your options are pretty much paint, replace, or stain it and live with it. You sanded to far.
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ci_lantro
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
I'm not sure that anyone could pull off refinishing a thin veneer oak door. Likely the original finish seeped into the open grain of the oak to the point of near penetration.

What I would have tried is using liquid chemical stripper to remove the old finish (and hope it wouldn't dissolve the veneer glue) and lightly sanded w/ not more than 100 grit. 150 a better idea. And followed up with 220. Wet the wood, let dry and hit it with 320 or 400 grit; rewet and lightly sand again w/ the finer grit. Then a blotch control product before stain. With no guarantee of success.

What you might try now is to lift the stain using lacquer thinner or liquid stripper.

Perhaps one of the furniture refinisher products would have worked better. Something like Howard's Restore a Finish. Depending on what the original finish was. Those are supposed to work on lacquer, shellac & varnish. I haven't used any of them but doubt they work on polyurethane finishes. Anyway, one of those products would have been the best place to start before moving onto more aggressive methods.

ETA: One of the gel stain products (General Finishes Gel Stains are popular) would rescue what you have and give you something acceptable.
Amanda
Original Author
5 years ago
Thanks so much for this helpful feedback, so it seems I was overzealous with sanding. Good info. I think I’ll just replace.

Not a huge fan of the gel stains, I prefer a more natural lighter wood.

I still may consider painting to see if it works. But all the other doors in our house are wood. I feel it may look off.
cat_ky
5 years ago
I wouldnt just paint one door. They should all be consistant. Probably time to just replace it, unfortunately.