Need help refinishing a stained veneer.

[tigerwoodKhorns]

I need to refinish a pair of speakers that have a stained 1/32" veneer. They have a dark stain and I need to refinish in a relatively dark color, but not quite as dark as the existing stain.

Can any of you experts shed some light on this?

I know that the sanding needs to be done by hand. But what else needs to be done? I have heard of steel wool and denatured alcohol.

Any advice from the experts otu there is much appreciated.

Thanks.

[bliss53]

Any idea what caused the stain? What is the current finish?

If the stain is something that penetrated the wood it will be difficult to eliminate. A light sanding will give you an idea of how deep it goes. A new application of dark stain will help hide damage. I think the best results will come from a complete sanding of all finished surfaces and a reapplication of stain. Given that the stain penetrated, I am guessing the finshing is a oil based stain rather than a harder shell type of finish. Sand with a finer grit (150 or finer) and a palm type sander. Work down to finer grits (320). Be carefull on the edges. This can be easier to deal with because all the finish color does not have to be removed. I would recommend Watco oil finishes. They come in different colors. You can mix two or more colors to get the color you want. I put on 2-3 thin coats with a rag. Let each coat dry a day or so. Then some Butchers wax or bowling alley wax buffed to a sheen. PM if you have any questions.Good luck.

[tigerwoodKhorns]

The spekaers are stained a dark color from the factory. I need to stain them a different color.

Thanks.

[Panacea Engineering]

Tiger,

Try the steel wool and denatured alcohol first, before any sanding. It is the safest way to approach it. If you have an area to test, that is kinda hidden, it would be all the better. This will remove the stain and any finish that is on them. You will get the hang of it in a few minutes. Ise circular motions and keep the steel wool saturated with the alchol and rinse regularily. the denatured alcohol is pretty cheap by the gallon. The secret is keeping everything cleaned up as it is easy to end up with a sticky mess if you don't. it has to be removed in layers so be prepared to take your time but it will be worth it in the long run. This is the same materials and methods Homer Formby has used for years to "Strip" back to natural wood, on difficult surfaces, but just sells the stuff at five times the actual cost. It is time consuming and you must use CLEAN rags for wiping up. Don't do any sanding until you have removed the stain and are back to Natural wood. It doesn't take long at all, to sand through 1/32nd of veneer, with a Palm Sander, then it is too late...........

[Jay Registrar]

Panacea's method will work, but what I would do first is try what a furniture guru I know does before he goes to the time and expense of refinishing a piece of furniture.

Get some rags and wipe down the cabinets with lacquer thinner. It not only removes some of the stain, but you get a uniform color and finish.

This you can do in a couple of hours. If you like the result, your done. If you don't, then go the complete refinishing route. This is what I am going to do to a pair of Cornwalls.

[JJkizak]

When sanding the unit (if you go that route) be very carefull you don't go through the thin veneer.

JJK

[coolhandjjl]

Xylene is another product to help break down and flush out existing stain from wood. Check the MSDS on that one, could be some hazards that denatured alcohol does not have.