Stain producing two diffrent shades..?

[Derrick Williams]

 

Hello All,

I am fairly new at woodwork and have a slight problem. I have built a headboard and a bed frame. Both were built using the Kreg Jig (I love this tool !) I purchased all the wood at the same time. I built the headboard and stained it no problem. I have now built the bed frame and stained it. The problem is the two items are not the same shade now. I used the same can of stain. I built the two items about three weeks apart.The bed frame is quiet a bit darker..now what do I do..??

Should I have built both items then stained them both ?

any suggestions would be very helpful,

Derrick Williams

[Gary roofner]

What kind of wood?

[Mike Robson]

Was the headboard exposed to direct sunlight when drying ? ...and yes it is best to finish any "set" pieces at the same time if possible...you may also want to try wood conditioner before staining, especially if on pine.

[Derrick Williams]

Both pieces were built with pine. I'm thinking one may have been white pine and the other yellow pine . Neither piece
Was put in the sun to dry.

[Gary roofner]

That would explain it you used different types of wood. I was thinking maybe you used poplar can be different light and dark spots. That why many times they use a dark stain to hide the different tones common in the wood.

[Mike Thompson]

Was the container of stain properly stirred on both applications?  This could accounts for the different shades.

[John Schaben]

Two things occur to me. First, did you use stain sealer on both pieces?  Usually, without stain sealer pine will become blotchy but it could also account for different absorbtion between the two pieces.

Second, Was the headboard sanded to a finer grit than the bed frame, or, sanded more? Sanding smoother produces a smooth surface but also tends to fill the grain slowing stain absorbtion.

Derrick Williams said:

Both pieces were built with pine. I'm thinking one may have been white pine and the other yellow pine . Neither piece
Was put in the sun to dry.

[Craig Sims]

In the past I have had the same problem or something simular. My project comes out darker than I want, or it is supposed to have a red tent and it is brown. What wood conditioner do you recommendand where do I buy it?

Mike Robson said:

Was the headboard exposed to direct sunlight when drying ? ...and yes it is best to finish any "set" pieces at the same time if possible...you may also want to try wood conditioner before staining, especially if on pine.

[Steve]

I use Minwax oil stain, you may need to put on another coat of stain. Test it on a small area that is not too noticeable, that way if the stains don't match, it won't be a big problem. Water based stains tend to be problematic. You need to put on an under coating and then the stain. The stain is really a translucent paint, rather than a real stain. A real stain is absorbed into the wood, hence the purpose of the oil base. When the color is dark enough, you need to wipe the stain off with a cloth. I usually do two applications of the stain to get the right depth of color. I usually sand the wood first, so that the stain will be absorbed uniformly. See my latest project, was stained with 2 coats of stain and then 2 coats of polyurethane. The project was made out of White Pine, a soft wood which will readily absorb the stain.

[Steve]

The wood conditioner needs to be applied before the stain, it should be the same brand as the stain. What I would do is make up stained wood samples that match your staining problem, take the samples to a paint store where you can get good advice and find out what is recommended to correct the problem.

[Don Trust]

The best wood conditioner is "Charles Neil's Blotch Control"

You can get it here.

http://shop.charlesneilwoodworking.com/Charles-Neils-Pre-Color-Cond...

 

Can't say enough good about it.  It's more expensive than others, but the results are well worth it.

Craig Sims said:

In the past I have had the same problem or something simular. My project comes out darker than I want, or it is supposed to have a red tent and it is brown. What wood conditioner do you recommendand where do I buy it?

Mike Robson said:

Was the headboard exposed to direct sunlight when drying ? ...and yes it is best to finish any "set" pieces at the same time if possible...you may also want to try wood conditioner before staining, especially if on pine.

[Bennett S. Reynolds]

Oil based stains can usually be lightened with mineral spirits.

Don Trust said:

The best wood conditioner is "Charles Neil's Blotch Control"

You can get it here.

http://shop.charlesneilwoodworking.com/Charles-Neils-Pre-Color-Cond...

 

Can't say enough good about it.  It's more expensive than others, but the results are well worth it.

Craig Sims said:

In the past I have had the same problem or something simular. My project comes out darker than I want, or it is supposed to have a red tent and it is brown. What wood conditioner do you recommendand where do I buy it?

Mike Robson said:

Was the headboard exposed to direct sunlight when drying ? ...and yes it is best to finish any "set" pieces at the same time if possible...you may also want to try wood conditioner before staining, especially if on pine.

[Mike Robson]

HI bennett....sorry for not responding sooner.

I have always used Minwax products...I have good luck with them.

Craig Sims said:

In the past I have had the same problem or something simular. My project comes out darker than I want, or it is supposed to have a red tent and it is brown. What wood conditioner do you recommendand where do I buy it?

Mike Robson said:

Was the headboard exposed to direct sunlight when drying ? ...and yes it is best to finish any "set" pieces at the same time if possible...you may also want to try wood conditioner before staining, especially if on pine.