Can I put regular Minwax stain in a wipe-on poly to create a toner? I am refinishing a coffee table. The top is a veneer and has a beautiful sort of Mahogany color. The shaped profile edges, however are poplar , in fact the entir substrate for the veneer looks like it may be poplar. Because of nicks and scratches to the edges (the poplar) over the years, I had to sand the edges of the table down to bare wood. It appeared that the color in the finish just sat on top of the wood and came off easily with a methylene chloride stripper. I have some scrap poplar that I have experimented with in trying to match the color. The poplar, of course, blotches while the top is a very even and beautiful color. I thought I would condition the poplar with minwax wood conditioner, then try to match the color as close as possible and then use toner in the wipe-on poly for both the edges and the top to try and achieve as close a match as possible. (the legs and apron just needed a good cleaning and waxing.) I have taken off all the finish from the top as well as the poplar edges and sanded the top to 220 grit. When I took the finishe from the top most of the color remained in the wood. I dont know what the top wood veneer is but it has a beautiful grain and is almost like cherry. Any suggestions, criticisms etc.?
I previously refinished the matching end table but didn’t need to sand the edges so the color of the edges and top remained the same. I used wipe-on poly with the end table and it looks satisfactory so I am comfortable with the wipe-on poly.
Frank
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I thought some pictures might help. I have put some mineral spirits on the front half of the table to give an idea of how it will look with some poly on it. (Any one have an idea as to the species of the veneer?
Frank
Edited 9/6/2005 12:51 pm ET by fgnoel
Frank,
The top looks like cherry from what I can see in the pictures. You're in deep trouble with the poplar edges. From your description, the poplar was heavily toned/glazed to match the top and it takes spray equipment to replicate that look. It's virtually impossible to apply a colored finish (toner) evenly by hand. The info at this link describes the steps I would use on the poplar - http://www.woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Staining_and_Blending_Difficult_Woods.html
One technique you could try using hand applied methods would be to first seal the top, then dye the poplar a few shades lighter than the final color you want, seal it with a washcoat, and then glaze it with a wiping stain. After the stain dries, apply the clearcoats. It won't look quite as good as a glazed and toned finish, but it will look better than trying to use just a stain.
Good luck,
Paul
http://www.finishwiz.com
Paul, Thanks for the info. The article you referenced was very helpful. I'm not yet sure how I will proceed. I don't have spray equipment and have never worked with dyes. (Clearly I'm a beginner at this.) Last night I sealed a scrap piece of poplar with just varnish. Put on the wood, sanded it in with 220 grit and then wiped it off while still wet (across the grain.) after an hour or so I wiped it with some thinned poly with stain mixed in. It looked great to me with no blotching. Very even. But the problem will be getting it to match the top. I like the idea of dyeing both woods to get a more even base color and then staining. Guess I'll have to do some experimenting with dyes. I'm learning something every day in this new hobby. Thanks again.
Frank
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