I was sanding a 1-inch thick solid wood surface (rustic sideboard/buffet) in order to remove some oily looking stains left by the previous owners. I was making pretty good progress when suddenly I uncovered a 2-inch diameter spot that appears to have a very different graining going the opposite direction. The spot is also very light colored and not at all porous/fibrous, so it isn’t taking any stain. Did I run into a knot, or something else? Now what do I do?
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How absolutely positively certain are you that this is a solid wood top. Do you really see end grain when you look at the edge on the top of your picture? Because what it looks like is very much like a veneer sand through. It won't take much grain because it is glue saturated. How about a picture showing the edges and perhaps the underside of this top.
Oh no...
Thanks for responding so quickly. As soon as I read your post my heart stopped and my dad, an old-school cabinet maker, rolled over in his grave. Before I started sanding, I gave a cursory look to the back of the sideboard, and even though I saw a little bit of a line at the top, I read it to be some bleed-down from all the staining that had been done over the years. I just "knew" it was a solid wood top - sort of like wood window sill thickness - but how foolish I feel now. I took this photo this morning which, if you look off to the left end, verifies what I didn't notice in the beginning. I just sanded completely through veneer.
I would bet on sand through being the reason for the problem. You can see the grain of the underneath substrate is running perpendicular to the grain of the top veneer. Recovering from this is going to be very difficult. If this is a valuable item, you may want to take it to a professional finisher/restorer. The following is a write-up from a pro. It assumes you will be removing all the prior finish using a chemical paint remover and then re-staining.
Apply your stain just as though there were no problem. Then, when the stain is dry, "draw" the damaged grain back on the spot where you have exposed the plywood core. This is done by using a selection of soft artist color pencils selected to match your stained oak. Here, briefly, is the process:
Select a pencil that will match the lightest color that you can see in your table. Begin by "scribbling" this pencil over the damaged area. Follow this by then "smudging" the pencil with your finger tip to blend the color over the area. Then, "seal" this color with a bit of clear aerosol shellac.
The shellac will dry very quickly; 25-minutes or so. When it is dry lightly sand to smooth the area and reach for the next pencil—one the color of the stain as it appears in the dense latewood of your oak table. Using a bit more care, draw the grain lines in such a way as to connect them across the damaged area. Again, smudge the drawing, this time a bit less than before. You want to still see the lines; you just don't want them to appear "sharp". When you are satisfied with your work, seal this drawing as well.
Lightly sand again when dry and reach for the last pencil—this one chosen to match the color of the stain in the open grain of the earlywood (the darker areas of stain). Repeat the smudging process and the sealing step. Your "glitch" should now be nearly invisible.
At any stage in the process, if you don't like what you see, erase and begin again. When the grain is drawn in to your satisfaction and sealed with the last aerosol coat of shellac, proceed with your topcoat. Semi-gloss or satin will be most effective in masking any lingering problems with your artwork.
I find the "pencil technique" much easier to apply and reverse, if necessary, than using oil or acrylic paints. The process also goes much faster...
Back to work...
Thanks so much for taking the time to go into such detail. I guess I have my work cut out for me. The piece is not valuable, and it's kind of rustic anyway, so it's not worth having it fixed by a professional. But the piece is a nice one, and it has some great storage space which is always welcome at our farm place. I'll gather the supplies you've mentioned and give it a try. I hate to think I might have to paint the surface, as that would truly make my dad roll over in his grave one more time. Like I said in my response to Steve's post, I'm really feeling foolish.
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