Replies

1. 
   peter28 | Aug 15, 2008 05:38am | #1

    What a pain!!

   Bleaching them won't do it until you get back to raw wood.

   As long as the doors are solid and not veneered you can get it pretty close to raw wood by sanding.

   What type of wood are you dealing with? Are they stock doors?

   I would start with 120 paper. A random orbit sander will help make the job a little easier. Be sure to keep changing the paper as it loads up. Sandpaper is cheap, time is not.

   If you have raised panels, you need to the hips with the paper wrapped around the edge of a sanding block. You can also use a piece of scotch pad rolled up and cover it with your sandpaper. It makes a great sanding tool.

   Finish it up with 180 paper after you get it reversed. Clean all the dust off and if you really need to , now is when you would bleach it. However if you are planning on staining again, you could hopefully skip that step.

   You didn't say what was wrong with the color. What was it? Too dark, too red etc.

   Before you put ANY color back to it, be sure your customer approves. You don't want to go through this again.

   It would also be in your best interest to have them sign off on the stain choice. A sample would be in order first.

   I know what a pain this is. Hang in there.

   Peter

    

1. 
   seamus4367 | Aug 15, 2008 07:42am | #2

   Dear Peter:

   The door is a FIR veneer. Solid core doors. It had four inset panels with straight styles, so there are no soft edges or curves to deal with.

   They are not stock doors. They were custom :(

   The stain was too dark. As a rough reference they were stained walnut instead of Pecan.

   Until the sanding is done it will be hard to know how to finish them because we won't know where we will end up - color wise.

   My issue really is whether to use a stripper and if so what type.

    

   Jim

    

    

    

    

1. 
   peter28 | Aug 15, 2008 03:20pm | #3

   Jim,

   Try some Zip Strip as the stripper. After you remove it, apply a second application. You can scrub this with a maroon scotch pad and wipe it dry behind it. I don't think it will pull out as much as you'd like though.

   When done wash it with some denatured alcohol and dry behind it. Do this in sections.

   Do you have a commercial stripper in your area? They can do a flow over method with their stripper and then power wash afterwards.

   You want to limit your sanding as much as possible with the veneer.

   Another possibility, although one that may not be in the cards, is to paint them and grain them. Fir is a pretty easy wood to imitate for someone with a little experience.

   Good luck.

   Peter

1. 
   seamus4367 | Aug 15, 2008 05:09pm | #4

   Thanks very much

    

   Jim