How do you stain smooth, non pourous wood?

Question

I am refinishing a kitchen table and after sanding down the old sealant, had trouble with staining because the wood did not soak up the stain. I sanded the stain off and attempting it a second time.. any suggestions on how to do it correctly this time?

Answer 1

Try using a dye stain instead of a pigment stain. All of the stains that I have seen at the big box stores (Lowe's, Home Depot, etc.) are pigment stains, that is there are chunks of colored material that you must stir into suspension in a binder that will dry or harden on the surface of the wood. If you go to a woodworking store (Woodcraft, Rockler, etc.) you will be able to find dye stains, either water based or alcohol based, which contain minute chemicals that you dissolve in the appropriate solvent. The benefit of dye stain is that the coloring actually gets carried into the cells and changes the color of the cellular structure.

No matter what people say, Dye and pigment stains act in different manners on the wood. In dyes the coloring agent penetrates the wood. In pigment stains the coloring agent sits on top of the wood. On woods like Oak that are Ring-porous Pigment stains will go into the pores, but it still only stays on the surface of the pores. In fine Diffuse-porous woods, like maple, the particles of pigment are too large to fit into the pores and so sit only on the surface without even seeming to penetrate. All Hardwoods have pores, the species just determines the size and distribution of the pores. I have never liked the look of Pigment stains on wood, but I love the look of Dye stains on wood.

Glaze is any pigment stain that is applied between a sealing coat and a finish coat, they are most often used to accentuate dents and dings in distressed wood or to give the appearance of age to new woodwork by mimicking the look of grime in corners.

Answer 2

I'm curious as to what type(s) of materials comprise the table. You said you sanded down the old "sealant," so I don't know whether there's some confusion with the terms you are using...
Real wood is not "non-porous." Different species of wood can be dense or less dense, but all natural wood is porous to a certain degree, and will therefore soak up some stain. If the wood did have a true "sealant" as a top coat, you may have to sand the wood a bit more to reach the point where the sealant is no longer clogging the pores of the wood. Just about any type of liquid, sealant, stain, or dye won't soak into the wood much farther than about 1/16th to 1/32 of an inch. If the table is constructed from a natural solid wood, or even plywood construction, the wood fibers will be natural, and and a stain will be absorbed, provided any selant is sufficiently removed first.

If your table is constructed of composite materials, it's hard to judge what can and cannot be done using stain, or dye or any material to change the color of the table. Assuming the table is made from real, natural wood, I would try sanding a bit further down. Regardless of whether you use dye or stain, the absorption action is the same. Now, if the table is composed of other material, it may not absorb the stain, or even if it does, it may not absorb it evenly, thus producing a table with different sploches of color.
If the table isn't made from natural wood, then using wood stain , etc, won't react as typical natural wood.
I might suggest you try to use something called a gel-stain which goes on more like paint, than stain. It can be used on material such as metal and gives a nice wooden finish. It even comes in several basic wood color types, i.e. mahogony, cherry, oak. Once the gel dries, you can again apply a top coat of sealant to deep it looking feresh for many years. Good luck

Answer 3

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Answer 4

For the hard wood ( or non porous wood ) get the paste stain instead of the penetrating which is more transparent ..
then spread it with a medium brush following up with a soft cloth puling it in the direction of the grain , do some practice runs under the table , and good luck..

Answer 5

You didn't say what kind of stain you used, or what kind of wood the table is. I have had good luck with Min-wax. It is easy to use, after applying the first coat and letting it set for about 10 min. Repeat with the second coat.

Answer 6

The stain and poly in one doesn't work well for me. I stain, then put on several coats of polyurethane, sanding between each coat, except the last one. Will thin the last coat with paint thinner before applying it, makes a nice smooth surface.

Answer 7

Try a "glaze" instead. A glaze rides upon the surface rather than being absorbed. There are many pleasing finishes available. Try your local paint store, or the local (not advertising) Home Depot.

Answer 8

If it's non-porous it will be difficult to stain. Try a spirit based stain of a colored varnish

Answer 9

am not sure if you sanded it down far enough....or the wood is saturated...possibly let it air dry for a few weeks then try again