Wood Staining Question

[Keith Boeheim]

I have completed building a large red oak entertainment center and am ready to stain and finish it. It is made out of 3/4' plywood carcase,

1/4" backs and solid 3/4" faceframes. I took a scrap piece of each and the stain came out slightly different on each piece. The 1/4" has a redder tint than the other material and the 3/4" is slightly lighter than the solid faceframes. I applied 3 cotes on the 3/4" ply to try and get the same as the one coat on the solid faceframe but no luck. I realize that each type of material comes from different trees so there will likely be a variation. Do I correct this by simply custom mixing for each of the 3 different types of wood material so they come out the same or is there a different fix?

Thanks

keith

[Leon]

Be sure to sand your scraps before staining as plywood typically will tend to come out a darker shade than regular solid wood. I do this all the time and really find little difference I color or shade. Are you using a good quality stain? You might also switch to a gel stain to get more consistent color results.

[Keith Boeheim]

I sanded both the project and the scraps with 150 grit and am using minwax oil stain.

keith

[Leon]

I always go to 180 grit and avoid Miniwax stains and finishes like the plague as I always get inconsistent results even on the same piece of wood. I prefer General Finishes, Bartley finishes, and Zar products, in that order.

[Dave]

What do you think about Varithene stains?