Marketing people are lying liars. I know, news flash from centuries ago. Nonetheless, the color on the outside of the QUART can of stain is not anything like the result. It’s much, much darker – almost black/ebony. I’m going to throw it in the trash out of spite. You don’t want that stuff in your landfill? Then make sure it’s properly labeled so I don’t buy stuff I don’t want.
Since they’re not veneer, I could have sanded it off, but I left the mid-tables (they slide under a couch to provide mid, not end, tabling) this color. The color balance on that picture is weird from the bright light coming in the window. They are much darker than they look. Brushing on polyurethane is not a skill of mine, so I chose spray. Apparently, that’s also not a skill of mine. Vertically, I got drips, which I painstakingly attempted to sand off with 400 grit wet/dry sandpaper; you can still see them. Horizontally, I got splotches of “shiny” and “dull”. I’m not pleased with the result, but I’m not sure what I’m going to do about it. Probably nothing.
I went back to the hardware store and got stain several shades lighter – and only a tiny can (6 oz, maybe). The end table has been sanded, so it will be the test subject for that stain. It also has a shelf and drawer, so I may go with brush-on poly. I hope it turns out the right color, because it is my last test piece before the coffee table.
That beast still needs to be taken apart and sanded. It needs flat black spray paint for the wrought iron, which is rusting just a bit. It’s marble topped (you can see the top in the Kamikoto Knives post), so I don’t want to screw it up.
Marked Up 