My wife has been after me to touch up the scratches and nicks on our kitchen cabinets. I took off the doors (ash wood) and lightly sanded the scratches then reapplied the Jacobean stain to the spots. The wood does not seem to take the stain so I have retried to sand with the same result. What am I doing wrong?
The wood has been sealed by the clear finish. This finish penetrates into the wood sealing the stain in the process. The best way to deal with is to find a <a href="//www.painters-toys.com/wood-stains/stain-touch-up-pens.html" target="_blank">stain touch-up pen</a> or use a thicker stain, same color, and a artist brush.
Work just the scratch and blend by dabbing with a clean soft cloth around the scratch.
You could also try applying your stain with a q-tip, dab to blend then add more when dry.
