stain on generic "white wood" - shellac?

[cc]

Brought some dirt cheap wood from Lowe's, not even tagged as to what it was, for a garage project.Exiting pieces are ash, this has same type of grain but softer. Used sanding prep liquid, let it sit, wiped it off, applied stain, and it came out looking extremely blotchy. This has never happended before.

Dont' want to buy a piece just for this project. If I use shellac to seal it, and appliy Minwas stainer and sealer (not jell) on top, will it still have blotches?

C

[Ron Magen]

'cc', I've had MORE aggravation by using the 'stain prep', then without !! {You did mean 'STAIN prep' when you said 'SANDING prep liquid' ??} The most reliable {relatively speaking} results come from the GEL stains.

If you are talking about 'POLYSHADES' { . . strainer & sealer {not jell} . .} - IF it's a DARK color, make sure you 'brush it out' WELL, or use it like a stain . . . apply, wait, wipe off - 'wetting' if necessary. 'Top coat' with a clear poly.

That being said . . . Even with a shellac 'barrier coat' - remember it's 'clear' - the final look is going to be 'additive'. For BEST results - SAND off what you have done already - and start over. Use a scrap to TEST, first.

Regards & Good Luck, Ron Magen Backyard Boatshop