Removing Stain From Birch

[Victor]

Have used the wrong color stain on a window valance, used Minwax Provincial and should have been Red Oak. What is the easiest way to remove the stain and get to bare wood again. Thanks.

Vic

[Doug Miller]

Your options are rather limited:

1) Start over with a new board. 2) Apply paint stripper and hope for the best. This will *not* remove all of the color, no matter how many times you apply it. 3) Run it through a surface planer removing a little at a time until you've removed all of the stained wood. You probably won't have to remove any more than about 3/32". 4) Live with it the way it is.

[SonomaProducts.com]

Froma a quick look at the Monwax color chart it looks like if you can lighten it some with some light sanding then use the Sedona Red over top which is just slightly lighter than the Red Oak you can probably get it close.

Start by creating some samples with the same wrong color.

Also, you might lighten the Sedona a bit with the Gunstock color which is even lighter but seems to have some redness.

Finaly, after doing some well documented samples of various mixtures, wait until they dry completly AND you add whatever top coat shellac, lacquer, etc. to see if the match works. Color can really change once you add a film finish and bring more reflectivity to the piece so compare finished pieces.

You could also t> Have used the wrong color stain on a window valance, used Minwax