Colored finish, toner, is usually sprayed to avoid stripes from
lapping at wet edge. Gel stains can be applied over a sealed surface
and can be wiped on, maybe must be wiped on. Check at
www.refinishwizard.com forum

On Sat, 26 Nov 2005 21:19:35 GMT, "Joseph Meehan"
wrote:

The Other Mike wrote:
House is about 2 years old...we now realize the one thing we don't
like is the color of the stair handrails/spindles/balusters. I'd like
to restain them a dark red or brown color. My question is how to
prepare the existing rails and spindles to do this. I'm sorry but I
don't know the type of wood they are made of. They are a very light
tannish color with a shine to them (I'm assuming polyurethane). I'm
also assuming it's not an expensive wood...it's not a very expensive
house. So is this a elbow grease sanding job or is there a product I
can buy to better prepare for staining?

Two approaches.

Paint remover and or a lot of sand paper. This is going to be a lot of
work. Lots. ...

Use a colored finish. A clear finish with a stain in the finish. See
your local paint store.