Staining Unfinished Cabinets

pick up a copy of Bob Flexner's book on finishing.

dave

Oak generally doesn't present any unique staining and finishing problems. But cabinet doors (raised panel) do have exposed end grain (top and bottom bevel on the panel and ends of stiles) that tends to stain darker. May want to use a stain conditioner on those areas first.

I did several cabinets years before I did any woodworking. Came out fine; as I recall I just slapped some oil stain on them; no varnish. They still look fine.

You do realize that you don't *have* to stain?

-- dadiOH ____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06... ...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that. Get it at

If there is *one* rule in finishing, it is "practice on scrap" hopefully there will be a cabinet side that will be put against a wall, or an interior component on which you can do a test to make sore the finishing schedule you choose will give you the look you want.

-Steve

Some of the tricks I use. Experiment with Gel Stains - Minwax gel seem fine. This is an oil based thickened stain which does not sink in very far and avoids blotching which can occur on almost any wood. These stains offer a lot of control. Also, if you want to learn more, consider sealing, then staining. You can seal with sealers from the store or use 1/2# cut shellac. You can also fill and stain if you want to put the work in. use a wood filler for the open pores of the oak (colored or not depending if you want the pores to have a different color). You can spray your stain if you have a spray system which leads to a more even stain. If you use regular stain, be sure to wipe it all off after a few minutes and don't skimp If you want darker, do the same thing again. Also, dry brushing can blend irregularly colored areas ( use a a brush with no stain on it to more surface stain around). I got more but I guess that's enough. hope some of that helps.

Mike R.

Thanks to everyone for their helpful replies.

JD