# How to fix oversanding spots



## kingsdaughter (May 18, 2019)

Hey guys,
I'm working on a sofa table made of pine. Sanded too much in one spot to try and remove a stain in the wood and now it's discolored. I read that you can use a pencil to scribble on the spot then sand it out.
Anyone know this technique or a better one to solve this problem?
I plan to stain it. Will gel stain fix it?
The spot is about three inches long.
Thank you!


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## EarlS (Dec 21, 2011)

I've had to go back and sand off glue that I missed that didn't show up until stain was applied. If you simply sanded through the stain, then reapplying the same stain should even it out. You might have to sand some of the area around the spot to feather out the difference.


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## kingsdaughter (May 18, 2019)

Thank you Earl! I appreciate you taking the time to help!


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## kingsdaughter (May 18, 2019)

Here's the spot on the table.


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## Unknowncraftsman (Jun 23, 2013)

Well that's just weird it looks like plywood that's been sanded past the top veneer.
Did you wetting the spot to see if the grain comes back? 
Then you'll have a idea what the finish will do.
Good Luck


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## kingsdaughter (May 18, 2019)

No, I didn't do that but will try it!
That's what I thought too, the grain just disappeared!
Thank you for responding AJ


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## GR8HUNTER (Jun 13, 2016)

im afraid you will have this problem with pine :<((((((


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## SMP (Aug 29, 2018)

Are you refinishing an old table that was already stained? Looks like perhaps you sanded past the old finish and stain?


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## EarlS (Dec 21, 2011)

Well - that isn't something you see every day. I wonder if the grain is still there but the sanding exposed fresh wood so you can't see the darker grain since it is almost the same porosity/density of the lighter material?

+1 on AJ's idea of wetting it to see if the grain shows up before going to a stain or finish. If it shows up with some water, it might also show up with whatever finish was originally on it.


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## HokieKen (Apr 14, 2015)

Looks like you've sanded through veneer to me. Wipe it down with mineral spirits and take a closer picture so we can have a better look at the transition.


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## GrantA (Jul 19, 2014)

Tony it's not a problem with pine, it's a problem with trying to sand veneer. The light area is whatever substrate was made to look like pine in a factory churning out low-cost furniture. You could paint it, or scrap it and make a new top.


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## GR8HUNTER (Jun 13, 2016)

> Tony it s not a problem with pine, it s a problem with trying to sand veneer. The light area is whatever substrate was made to look like pine in a factory churning out low-cost furniture. You could paint it, or scrap it and make a new top.
> 
> - GrantA


are you sure that is veneer :<))))


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## Blindhog (Jul 13, 2015)

One possibility is that your wood may have had a faux grain finish applied previously. This would account for the appearance of sanding though the veneer. This type of finish is done in large manufacturing production facilities all the time.
Just a thought….............


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## kingsdaughter (May 18, 2019)

Thank you everyone! Under the table it has a sign that says "pine finish", it appears to be a cheap table but I'm redoing it for a customer and now it looks like it's going to have to be painted vs stained.


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## Lazyman (Aug 8, 2014)

I am not sure which spot you are talking about? The dark brown spot on the right corner of the bottom board, the light band next to the miter joint of the right side or along the edge profile on the bottom where it sort of looks like you sanded the edge down to expose the side grain?

The dark brown spot looks like a tinted finish that has not been sanded off yet. Perhaps sanding with worn sandpaper burnished it instead of removing it caused that? I would try carefully using a scraper to see if it scrapes off. The light band looks like you sanded through all of the residual stain. Fixing that and getting a uniform look may require you to sand the entire top to the same level.


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## kingsdaughter (May 18, 2019)

I'll do that Kenny! Thank you!


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## kingsdaughter (May 18, 2019)

Here's a closer view after I applied mineral spirits. What do you think?


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## HokieKen (Apr 14, 2015)

Sure looks to me like a veneer over Luan or some similar wood. I think you've sanded through the veneer and there's really nothing to be done about it. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.


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## EarlS (Dec 21, 2011)

+1 Kenny

Pine veneer is cheaper than solid pine - who would have thought??? Or as previously mentioned, the "grain" was painted on.


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## HokieKen (Apr 14, 2015)

I know Earl, I was a little leery of suggesting that it was a veneer at first because who the heck uses pine veneer? I guess maybe it's a stability issue? I tend to think it's more likely veneer instead of "painted" grain just because the grain is pretty irregular and there are knots in the picture Lisa posted earlier.


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## GrantA (Jul 19, 2014)

It may even be something like hydrographics. I work with a lot of Southern yellow pine and it definitely will not do that.


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## kingsdaughter (May 18, 2019)

Thank you everyone for your suggestions and comments!
I have decided to do a black wash where you use 3 parts black paint with 1 part water, brush on then wipe off to give a stain look. I've never done this technique before so I hope it works. My customer has agreed to it so hoping for the best!
I'll post of picture when finished.
Have a great weekend!


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## SMP (Aug 29, 2018)

Kind of funny, most people buy pine because its cheap, then try to staim it to look like something else. But I guess its cheaper for a big company to make everything out of rubber wood or whatever and then just spray on 5 different finishes.


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## kingsdaughter (May 18, 2019)

So true SMP! I hope the black wash works!


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## BurlyBob (Mar 13, 2012)

maybe try a little natural Danish oil to bring back the grain.


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## corelz125 (Sep 23, 2015)

Earl I have seen 6 panel pine doors veneered. It was built out of 1"×1" strips than they veneered over that


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