[mycity_33]

I have sanded using 150 to remove deep scratches and need to find a way to have stain absorb in light spots. Slightly darker spots are where i applied 2-nd coat and let it dry overnight however t simply looks horrible and i removed part of it using paint thinner. Stain used is MinWax.

Any easy way to make it look good and even now that I have stained both speakers??

I plan to apply polyutharene later on

 

[Just Bill]

Many softwoods don't absorb stains evenly and need a prestain conditioner. Available at home, paint, hardware stores. Follow directions after stripping off what you now have.

 

[jaros bros.]

It almost looks like you might need a grain filler after you stain too. Match it with the stain and it will really even things out with the darker grain streaking that you have, unless you like it for the the character.
You need to sand it down to nothing and add a conditioner. Add your stain and then a shellac to seal. You can always add more stain if it needs to be darkened and you won't have to worry about sanding through your first coat.

 

[Ron6519]

If you want an even color, you really need to sand off all the color down to bare wood. A wood conditioner can't hurt to apply as the first coat. It's doudtful the wood was a minwax color to begin with and you picked the closest one they had. This side will not match exactly, maybe it will be close. After your done, this will be the side that sits on the floor.
Ron

 

[Paragon]

Another thing to be careful of is if those side panels are veneered you don't want to sand down too far or it will really blow up in your face fast. A lot of times when you have a veneer when you start sanding on it you get adverse effects so I hope that these sides are solid and not veneered.

You may have to go to a lacquer look if they turn out to be veneered and you can't get it to pull out so tread lightly on this project and be prepared for the worst.

James

 

[f8lyer8s]

put a plant on top of it... or paint it... thats a lot of work just for a speaker...

 

[Maintenance 6]

Minwax stains also contain a sealer, so to fix it you'll need to sand everything back down to bare wood. Sort of looks like it wasn't all sanded evenly. 150 is pretty course. After you get the deep scratches out, you should really resand thoroughly with 220 grit. And I do mean thoroughly. Normally, I figure sanding time is about half of the time spent on a project.