HELP: Dust in my woodstain

Hey guys, new here and pretty new to woodworking.

Let me start by saying: I am an idiot. I see that now. I have been dumb. But I'm hoping someone may be able to help me undumb my project.

I am currently isolating with a light dose of covid-19 and decided to keep myself busy by refinishing my coffee table and TV stand. I did a job on these less than a year ago but the table tops for both had been bugging me since so decided to go again.

I started by sanding down the coffee table top to barewood, wiping clean, using Minwax Pre-Stain Conditioner followed by a coat of Minwax Provincial woodstain. Then I moved to the TV stand and did the same steps...but all with my freshly stained coffee table right next to the sanding process...

Now, it was evening at the point so I was using artificial light and the fact that the coffee table was now coated in a light dust was not clear to me. I gave it a light wipe with a dry cloth and hit it with a second coat of the woodstain. Both looked great last night and I went to bed quite proud of myself, ready to topcoat in a day or two.

In the cold light of day I can see that the coffee table has a layer of dust over it. It's rpesumeably stuck well in there since the second coat came after the dusting. Photo below/attached.

What's my best course of action at this point to try to rescue? Any and all advice is appreciated.

Thanks

Hello BazmanFoo

Welcome to the forums.

Don't know Minwax Provincial Woodstain but if the dust is in the stain I'm presuming you added the stain to Minwax or another polyurethane and now the dust is stuck in the finish.

If it is just the stain you put on the dust should wipe off, or at least you should be able to wash off the stain with either water if water-based or turpentine it turps based and try again. If it's in the poly then goog luck with that. Going to ne a pretty rotten job stripping it back off.

Adding stain to finish isn't staining it's finishing and as a rule it's not the best finish.

Have another go at posting photo(s). Should work for you now.

Cheers - Neil :U

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ubeaut

Hello BazmanFoo

Welcome to the forums.

Don't know Minwax Provincial Woodstain but if the dust is in the stain I'm presuming you added the stain to Minwax or another polyurethane and now the dust is stuck in the finish.

If it is just the stain you put on the dust should wipe off, or at least you should be able to wash off the stain with either water if water-based or turpentine it turps based and try again. If it's in the poly then goog luck with that. Going to ne a pretty rotten job stripping it back off.

Adding stain to finish isn't staining it's finishing and as a rule it's not the best finish.

---

Thanks for the reply. No poly has been applied yet. Minwax Provincial is just a brand/colour of stain. So all that has been done so far is stain direct to barewood. Problem is that a second round of staining took place AFTER the coat of dust.

Thinking I use a fine grit sanding sponge (maybe wet?) to see if I can clean up the stain as much as possible and the pray that the Polyurethane I apply will hide it slightly by giving tha 'wet' appearance.

Tried uploading but looks to have failed again, should be able to view photo here
Shared album - Barry King - Google Photos

Its not going to rescue your currentsituation but what it could show up is how long fine sanding dust hangs around in air, and the following may help you in the future

If the dust is not being captured at source (difficult with hand sanding) then either, providing some ventilation, or waiting for 10-12 hours for most of teh dust to settle, or, best of all since it captures even non-wood dust, is a room air filter,

A few things:

1. Is it definitely a water stain? If YES just try wiping with a wet rag it should wipe off the stain and dust then reapply the stain if needed. Water should reactivate the stain.
2. If it an oil based stain, it should be reactivated with Stoddards (White Oil, Mineral Turpentine) and dust should come off with a wipe over with a rag dampened with Stodards or what ever it's called in Island.
3. Minwax Pre-Stain Conditioner is for use under oil based stains not water based.
   
   
4. If you're using water stain you need to raise the grain torn by the sanding prior to using the stain or it will stand up in the stain and will look and feel like someone has thrown a hand full of sand on the surface.
5. You can raise the grain by wetting the surface with a rag dampened with water or denatured alcohol. when dry just wipe over the surface with your finest grit abrasive. Ideally not any courser than 600 grit you can even use 1200 grit.
6. To remove raised grain with fine grit abrasive do not sand the surface but wipe over with the abrasive and it will remove the nibs without raising more.
7. I would avoid sanding the dust out if possible as this will only help to raise the grain again and may even compound the problem.

Hope this is of a bit of help.

Cheers - Neil :U

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ubeaut

A few things:

1. Is it definitely a water stain? If YES just try wiping with a wet rag it should wipe off the stain and dust then reapply the stain if needed. Water should reactivate the stain.
2. If it an oil based stain, it should be reactivated with Stoddards (White Oil, Mineral Turpentine) and dust should come off with a wipe over with a rag dampened with Stodards or what ever it's called in Island.
3. Minwax Pre-Stain Conditioner is for use under oil based stains not water based.
   
   
4. If you're using water stain you need to raise the grain torn by the sanding prior to using the stain or it will stand up in the stain and will look and feel like someone has thrown a hand full of sand on the surface.
5. You can raise the grain by wetting the surface with a rag dampened with water or denatured alcohol. when dry just wipe over the surface with your finest grit abrasive. Ideally not any courser than 600 grit you can even use 1200 grit.
6. To remove raised grain with fine grit abrasive do not sand the surface but wipe over with the abrasive and it will remove the nibs without raising more.
7. I would avoid sanding the dust out if possible as this will only help to raise the grain again and may even compound the problem.

Hope this is of a bit of help.

Cheers - Neil :U

---

Hi Neil,

Yes, oil based. Looking pretty good after lots of light sanding and tak clothing. Have 1 coat of poly on now. Will post update when done for judgement but feeling less deflated now.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BazmanFoo

Hi Neil,

Yes, oil based. Looking pretty good after lots of light sanding and tak clothing. Have 1 coat of poly on now. Will post update when done for judgement but feeling less deflated now.

---

And we're done. Actually really happy with how it turned out despite the mistakes. Thanks all for the advice

Shared album - Barry King - Google Photos

Well done Bazman. Looks great :U
Makes (what appears to be) the leather lounge look a little dull. Maybe a touch of leather revive/conditioner will bring it up to match the table

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Fallen Woodwork

Well done Bazman. Looks great :U
Makes (what appears to be) the leather lounge look a little dull. Maybe a touch of leather revive/conditioner will bring it up to match the table

---

Haha yes the couch has seen better days for sure. I am moving in a few weeks and it won't be coming with me.

I actually did a bit of a job on the bottom of the table now, let me know what you think:

Shared album - Barry King - Google Photos