On Aug 17, 11:36 pm, "Walter R." wrote:
25 years ago, my entry door started with a stain and a layer of lacquer,
which was not worth a darn. Fifteen years ago, I used "Furniture Restorer"
to smooth out the badly weathered lacquer finish.

I then gave it two coats of spar varnish. Now the varnish is
weathering/deteriorating. It is not coming off, just looks weathered and
dark in some areas.

The door is heavily carved and paneled. I can't see how I could possibly
remove the old finishes. The wood is solid mahogany.

Can I use a "Solid Stain" on top of the old varnish? That way the exterior
finish would look uniform, without looking painted. ??

--
Walterwww.rationality.net
-

Most solid stains look very much like paint because they serve a
similar function. They hide what is underneath. You might be able to
use a gel stain, which is a thick stain type product that while
covering up, is designed to leave some shading, brush strokes, etc,
that appear similar to natural wood variation.

However, with a solid mahogany door, I think my first approach would
be to strip it and then use a regular stain and clear coat sealer. I
stripped my double entry doors. I used paint/varnish remover. It did
take some time and elbow work to deal with the various features, but
the results were well worth it. Another option would be to take them
to a shop that does professional stripping refinishing.