Please HELP! Serious Finishing Advice Needed...

Wow. I know this is armchair quarterbacking, but she really should have shown the customer what a piece of that ply looked like after wiping the stain onto it before she went any farther.

That being said, I can’t think of a better solution than what you have already come up with. I’d try a very dark shade of Polyshades and see how it looks.

-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"

If the number of doors is small and the touch up does not work it might be quicker to rebuild the doors and then follow CharlieM1958’s advise, do one door and show the client. The doors that the client does not like could be saved and possibly sold to another customer who likes them.

-- Never board, always knotty, lots of growth rings

Thanks, Charlie! I agree with your “shoulda” as well…though I can’t claim to know exactly what they discussed in advance…not sure I even want to know.

Kindling…
One of the “long and sordid details” of how she got to this point is that these ARE replacement doors.

The original ones were somehow damaged in transport after she had completed the original finish work (which is all this job was supposed to be). She’s pretty much a painter and wouldn’t have a client for the old doors

-- Patrick, Chicago, IL http://www.TenonAndSpline.com/blog

Ouch! It sounds like straight Jack Daniels time! Good luck.

-- Never board, always knotty, lots of growth rings

Patrick,
I wish I could tell you it would work, but I’m a hack when it comes to re-engineering finishes. I do however have a friend in Lisle that can do it if it can be done. Call Cary Zaras at 630-400-9986 (A to Z Finishers). He has done some very nice work for me…

Tom Adamski

-- Anybody can become a woodworker, but only a Craftsman can hide his mistakes.

Patrick,

Any chance for a picture? I used to do touch up work and furniture repair for a living, and I’d really need to see it before I could advice (advize? sppltt, I can’t spell… ;-)

I’m a bit confused though, and not to get on your sister, was she trying to save time by matching the orginal doors with unfinished doors? I’m just trying to figure out how the new doors got to look so different from the original ones.

Can I see a pic of the original doors too?

Good luck!

Milo

-- Beer, Beer, Thank God for Beer. It's my way of keeping my mind fresh and clear...

can you make a small mockup of that door and use their stain/finish , and try your idea .
i’ve had to do similar things in the past , and trial and error is what winds up working .
good luck !

-- david ,new mexico ,allheart