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Posted to rec.woodworking
eternal
 
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Default Kitchen Cabinets + Minwax Polyshades

I'm a total amateur when it comes to stains and woodworking. I redid
the trim in a couple rooms and decided, "Hey, I can redo my 50 year old
kitchen with some patience and a little elbow grease." I went down to
the Home Depot, picked up some minwax polyshades, an orbital sander, a
few brushes and got to work.

After taking the doors and drawers out and sanding them (first with 60
grit, then 150), I started applying the stain. I should note that the
first thing i did was test the product against a sample piece of wood.
I "painted" it on thick and let it dry. I liked the color, but it came
out really thick & gloppy. I figured it was my technique so i googled
on how to apply stains and learned about wiping (apply stain, wait 5-15
minutes, wipe off stain with paper towels). This is contradictory to
the stain instructions (and a total pain if the stain starts to dry,
and it dries quick), but i figured they made the instructions sound the
easiest to help sell the can. I thought I was doing it the harder, but
"right" way

Two coats of stain later I started thinking that maybe I should've
researched the product a bit more (as in, at all). My coats are coming
out uneven and it just doesn't "feel" right. I went on google now and
came across a number of posts on this board telling me what crap the
product is.

My question is, what do i do now? The product is starting to look a bit
better with the second coat, but would i be better served using a
different product to help me even out the staining? Or is it too late
to do that? Should i just apply a couple more coats?

is the problem in my technique? Should i follow the instructions, apply
a thin coat with a foam brush, and just let dry?

Also, when I'm done, should i apply a coat of clearcoat to protect it,
or should i figure that the polyshades is enough?

What a pain. I wish i would've researched the product a bit more
before.

I appreciate any help.

Cheers