Reply To: Question about revarnishing old dining room chairs?

first of all. this is a slow and timely process. its not a sunday afternoon and you’re done job. that said, the darker stains are probably because, as you said the chairs werent sanded completely before rubbing in the stain. also how did you apply the stain? If you are serious about making it look nice, and they are good quality chairs, take one at a time and put alot of time and elbow grease into it. Like three days per chair. Sand it down completely. you can view this on youtube. only once you have stripped it and sanded it completely and used a tack rag to get off all the shavings, then apply the proper stain with the proper tool ( i would choose a foam brush or rag) with even strokes with the grain, avoiding any drips. wipe off excess right away. and sand in between coats. I would rather a hand rubbed finish but thats up to you. and the look you want. THey make products that combine the stain and protection finish in one. good luck and watch some you tube tutorials first.