stainingwood
I have stained a desk top and where the stain crosses over the slightly earlier application there is a dark mark. There's no finish on top of the stain. The wood was prepared properly for the stain but when the stain was applied across the large surface when you go from one area to the next there's a crossover and that created a dark area or darker stain.
Should I take it all back down to the bare wood and start again or can I re-stain it trying to make the entire surface dark? Your thoughts?
Staining will highlight any imperfections in the wood. From the photo it looks like something has been wiped across the grain. That could be when you wiped the sawdust away or possibly if you wiped the stain across the grain.
Having a good surface to stain is pretty much essential as the stain will highlight even the smallest imperfections.
Applying thin coats as John suggests is the best way.
Also, don't forget that the wood will age - especially for something left outside - so any imperfections you see now will blend over time.
Per the question, I used Minwax until it faded, but it was still quite obvious and visible (close to the last pic in the question post).
Then, taking a page from the "mayo and ashes" tip, I mixed 1-part mayonnaise (Hellman's) to 1-part baking soda (not baking powder; I used Arm & Hammer brand) as a cigarette ashes replacement. I rubbed the mixture along the grain directions using a paper towel and some pressure.
The stain faded, then vanished. The resulting wood is smooth, and considering the baking soda is abrasive, appears unscratched. After wiping off the mayo mix, my table may smell like a turkey sandwich, but it's beautiful again.
Now all I have to do is polish off all the Minwax buildup from my earlier cleaning attempts.
I would never have thought of going with the grain had I not spoken to the lady from Restore and Adore, and had the baking soda idea fell through, I would have gone with the "last resort" 4 0 steel wool with a lot of Minwax applied.
Pic of the repair:
Best Answer
That sounds like what we call "water marking", which is an unsightly doubling of color where the brush strokes overlap. Typically it's what happens when you don't apply your subsequent passes of stain soon enough. Your best bet is to remove the strain with a cabinet scraper and resand. I've heard of wetting the whole area with mineral spirits first, to prevent this but I've never actually tried it myself. Just work quickly and maintain a wet edge and you should be fine, or better yet switch to gel stain which is much less susceptible to this problem.