Its all oil based stuff from home depot. Varathane so its a decent product.
maybe i am not leaving the conditioner on long enough before wiping it off. I read 15 minutes which i didnt do. I also read 2 coats of conditioner somewhere else.. have done lots of staining just not poplar.
sanded lightly yes. pain in the fing ass for sure!
Well Surf, Im only going to tell you my opinions, take it with a grain of salt. Its just what I was taught.
I sand all soft woods 180 on the face, usually 200-220 on endgrain "Only If its a showing end, Obviously mitered edges are irrelevant.
2 coats of conditioner is situational, It all depends how absorbent the wood itself is. If it drinks up the first coat then yes, Otherwise no.
I ONLY use gel stains on soft wood species, Solely due to the fact they wont heavily soak into spongy areas instantly and and youll see much more uniform coats because the stain "Floats " although slightly lighter in color than a liquid will preform.
I condition for 10min, wipe and instantly apply stain.
I dont use Minwax or Varathane , The brand i use is General Finishes.
Not available at Home centers, need to visit a Woodcraft, Owl Lumber or similar.
Cost is abit higher but I find the pigment far superior and overall a better product.
Depending on what color you used, It MIGHT be salvageable. You can try a rag with Mineral spirits to lift some of the stain out, OR blend it with sanding. I refinished a floor once with a hidden water stain in the grain that was horrible after staining. Sanded and blended the surrounding 10" and you'd never see it now.
If not, your definitely looking at sanding it all off and starting again.
