i hate working with wood

i've never been any good at it and i know it.

i sanded it down and stained it...
it was blotchy.

so i sanded it down to bare wood and stained it again.
and it was blotchy again.

i'll try one more time. but if it's blotchy this time it gets painted.

the only reason i'm trying a third time is the grain looks beautiful, and i would really like to show it off.

on a lighter note...

i'm sure you all would be amused that i am using an old floppy drive as a sanding block.

It sounds as though you need to raise the grain during the sanding process.

After you've sanded so that the wood feels smooth to the touch, wipe it with a damp sponge or cloth. Feel it again: surprise! It's much rougher, because you've just 1) removed the wood dust that was lying in the microgrooves of the wood grain, and 2) raised the grain, which was deceptively compacted by the pressure of sanding.

Allow the wood to dry, and then sand it again. Do this at least once (and preferably more than once) for EACH stage of the sanding process (i.e., with each grade of sandpaper that you're using). The properly sanded wood ought to take the stain much more evenly.

P.S. I just saw your comment in another thread, and I agree: The price difference between the kit and a fully-assembled Etherwave is no bargain, even if you leave the cabinet unfinished.

The reasons for buying the kit boil down to 1) the fun of assembling it yourself, and 2) the option of a non-black finish. If neither idea appeals to you, then don't buy the kit.

This discussion threatens to become on-topic...

When I stain wood, I use a water-based stain, not an oil-based stain. I also use a sponge brush. Using a wet sponge brush, I quickly brush the stain all over the sanded surface, and then with a paper towel I wipe off excess. Usually one coat of the stain is dramatically insufficient to achieve the desired color, so this means I can put on 3 or 4 coats, which means I can try to correct blotches in the midst of one coat.

well now after the third try it's a little better but not completely to my liking. my camera's dead and the charger is at the wifes house so i wont be able to show you guys until later tonight.

thanks for the tips on staining, but i'm leaving it as it is for the time being. i'm sick of working on it.

i have a REALLY whacky idea if i decide i still dont like it after it's back together.

what's sad is the inside of the box that didn't get any sanding looks better than the parts that i've spent so much time on. :(

ok. I waisted another 5 hours on it tonight.

i'm going with option A.2

(it's the really whacky one)...

"[i]Really[/i] wacky" is quite a challenge in the world of theremins.

The list of wacky includes theremins built into cuddly toys, video games and ladies underwear...

He's not kidding about the Ladies underwear....

[b]DiggyDog[/b]
[i]He's not kidding about the Ladies underwear....[/i]

[img]http://static.flickr.com/106/296447811_7e7919bcf4_o.gif[/img][img]http://static.flickr.com/118/296447812_de24703ffd_o.gif[/img][img]http://static.flickr.com/106/296447814_47f52c5c09_o.gif[/img][img]http://static.flickr.com/100/296447820_84588dacb7_o.gif[/img][img]http://static.flickr.com/121/296447825_1ee3b6ec20_o.gif[/img]

well, maybe whacky isn't what i ment, perhaps blasphemous is a better word to use.