A stain toner coat

[clinton carr]

I'm refinishing my kitchen cabinets that are either oak or ash with raised panels faces. They were stained a spice walnut color and over the years acquired a orange and amber tint.

I striped, sanded and stained one panel using the same lacquer-based stain and color as before. The edges are darker and a few areas have dark lines where my hand sanding crossed the vertical and horizontal grains of the raised panels.

Should I spray a coat of toner before staining? If so, what color?

You know what they say...It costs only a little bit more to do it yourself.

[Ben Reish]

By "toner" do you mean a thinned down version of the finish coat?

If so, use it on the end grain for sure and the rest of the panel if you want a more even coloring. Also, let it dry completely. I had very bad results following the label instructions once which tell you to apply stain within 2 hours of the "toner."