Just stained a doug fir end table which blotched immediately with application of gel stain. I had tossed up between using a wood conditioner with an oil stain and chose gel because it seemed easier. I tested the gel stain on a piece of this stock and there was no blotch.. some pieces are completely blotched while others have no blotching.
Any advice? Should I have gone with wood conditioner? I gather my options now are paint over it, sand and try again with a different product or try to remove the stain chemically.
Okay! The piece was very briefly in the rain before staining. I let it dry and stained the underside of the bottom shelf and assumed the water was still in the wood though not visible.
I then dried it out with a space heater for hours before I continued and got the same result everywhere else I stained.
Someone suggested that maybe a solvent or oil had been spilled on it (I use a shared shop).
Once the water drops are on there drying it off won't work. The grain has been raised where it was wet and that changes how the stain is absorbed. It will have to be sanded back down to bare wood and then start over.
Thanks so much Rick!!! I had planned on sanding off the stain, and refinishing with tung oil just to be safe, but from what you've told me I gather if I sand off the stain I can try the gel stain once again? Hopefully have a pic up in a few days.
Can't thank you all enough for helping out a novice. I sanded with 100, 120, 150, and 180 before refinishing. It took about 5 hours but I am quite happy with the result.
I used one coat of gel stain. Two coats Varnish, light sand with 320, then one more coat.
I agree with Rick, that is water spots. When wood had gotten wet it opens and raises the grain so it accepts stain better. In summer you especially need to watch this when sanding. Any place you drip sweat or handle the wood with sweaty hands it can do the same thing.
The only thing you can do at this point is to strip the stain off and resand the piece and stain it again. I think the next time will have a different outcome.
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