I'm using a gel stain("golden oak" is the color) on red oak veneer plywood. It works fine, except where I use wood putty to cover up some nail holes. I have no problem with the actual putty in the hole, but where I wiped the wood putty on around the hole, the wood doesn't take as heavy a stain..it's noticably lighter. Its like the the putty blocks the stain from penetrating as deeply.
Is there a fix for this? I don't want to sand thru the veneer.
that's why a trowelable pore filler, spread over the entire surface works so much better. You won't see any areas that are shaded differently. Next time, try that approach. You can apply it with a rag or plastic trowel, wipe it off quickly, let it dry, then carefully sand. Voila, the pores are filled and you will get a uniform color and nicer finish, to boot. There are a number of trowelable fillers on the market. I use a water based red oak formulation that works superbly. It's made by Zar.
Anytime you apply a putty to a portion of an open pored wood, you are gonna have this type of problem. Coat the entire surface with the same thing, or keep everything off it until you stain. (Not including water or mineral spirits, to check out your sanding or to raise the grain, nor a stain conditioner, wash coat of shellac, etc.) BTW, I'm kinda new at this, but I read a lot and someone will jump in to correct any factual error that I make, so just hang on til tonight, to see if the WW gods object! :)
Well if you don't fill them before the top coat, how do you ever get them colored? I've started filling them first, sanding (leaving them a bit sunken after they dry) and then using the wax pencils after the first couple of top coats.
Either that or Pore-o-pac the whole thing if it is something like red oak....
In my experience that is typical with most stains.
Probably too late this time but in the future, put masking tape over the spot that you intend to put a nail. Nail through the tape, putty the hole through the tape and let it dry. Sand the putty and tape off. The tape will keep the putty in the hole and not let it spread over the surrounding wood.
Take a cloth dampened with naptha and wipe off the wax. I do not know if that will work now after you stained. Many fillers, especially the stick types have wax in them. I always fill after staining and top coating, unless I use sanding dust and hide glue for a filler.If the excess filler is not wax, a wood putty filler that dries hard, see if you can scrape it off. mike
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