Ikea worktop sanding problems!

Mackers12

Hi all! 
I'm hoping you can help give some advice. Last year we had an IKEA wood worktop put in on our kitchen. After a couple of very minor dinks / scratches so (at the suggestion of the IKEA colleagues) I sanded it down with 400 grit sandpaper and tried to refinish with the same oil I'd used on the rest of the worktop. 

The problem is that it the sanded area now doesn't have the same finish as the rest of the unit, even after applying the same oil. The sanded area is duller, with less of a sheen and looks worse than the scratches did!
Any advice on how to fix this? I wasn't sure if using a different grit would help, maybe the same grit that the worktop was finished in? I've tried to get more info from IKEA but nothing. We could always re-sand the whole worktop, but I don't want to sand unnecessarily as the real wood on top of the worktop isn't that thick. Has anyone experienced this or knows a about how to finish worktops so they look good, would love to hear from you! 
Thanks in advance! 

rob7475

I've always found id hard to try and get a seamless invisible repair when oiling wood. Have you sanded in the same direction as the grain in straight lines? For 400 grit to remove the scratches, they must have been really faint so you may have created a bigger problem by trying to repair them.

Have you applied several thin coats of oil as it'll take a few coats for the sheen to develop as the first couple of coats will soak in?

Mackers12

Thanks, and yes sanded in the same direction as grain. And also yes... I have without a doubt made a few fairly small scratches a LOT worse!.. though I only did so after being advised by IKEA. I've tried about 3 or 4 coats but it just doesn't seem to be leading to anywhere like the same finish. 

It sort of feels like maybe the 400 has made the finish too smooth (if that's possible) to absorb the oil... or is that daft? I was wondering if trying again with slightly rougher grit (maybe 200) would rough it up enough to absorb more oil and maybe have a similar effect. 

Thanks!

ic

Looking at youtube videos on the matter, the suggestion seems to be you do the whole thing in order to get a consistent finish.

rob7475

that's a good point about the 400grit being too smooth. I'd usually use 240 or maybe 300 at most. Maybe try a quick go over with some 240 before oiling again. Alternatively, bite the bullet and do the whole lot.

For future though, you're going to have to accept that a wood worktop is going to get the odd scratch and ding. They look lovely but if you're after a perfect finish for years to come, you're in for a lot of work 

The scratches and dings will add "character" to the worktop.

Mackers12

Thanks all! Very helpful 

rach_k

Have you done several coats of the oil?  One is never enough after sanding on ours.