How do I best re-do these cabinets?

Check these out and see if you skipped a step.

https://www.familyhandyman.com/kitchen/diy-kitchen-cabinets/how-to-refinish-kitchen-cabinets/

https://www.bobvila.com/articles/how-to-refinish-cabinets/

Or, consider using a gel stain.

That probably means there’s still a finish over the wood. The stain can’t penetrate. You could try a gel stain. Those don’t need as bare of wood.

Here's some really good information on gel stains and how it will work for you:

https://www.diynetwork.com/made-and-remade/learn-it/use-gel-stain-to-spruce-up-cabinets-lamp-bases-and-more

Yes, you need to start with 80 grit and then work your way up to 220. Not the other way around. The lower the grit the more rough your sandpaper and you will be able to take off so much more. Yes get it down to the bare wood if you can. The reason for this is because the stain soaks in and a stripper won't work well when you are talking about removing stain. The other thing with oak is that it doesn't always take the stain evenly. You will want to add a preconditioner so that the stain can soak in evenly throughout the wood. Please check out my post on a bench that I refinished. That wood in this project was walnut so it might accept the stain a little different but the process will be the same. Follow the directions especially when applying the preconditioner and the wait time afterwards before applying stain. In that post I used Waterlox. You can use whatever sealer or finished topcoat you want. That was just the one we like and prefer. Good luck!

https://karupp-did.net/bench-part-2/

If you want to restain them, you will need to remove all of the old finish.

Hello there,

Are they solid timber or just a veneer or maybe a plastic coat abit like contact? If not real timber, then the dye will not sink in! If it is timber, then maybe a darker stain will go in. If not successful then maybe try a coloured varnish rather than dye.... Best wishes.

Hello. Hello

I think polyshades might be the product to consider for your need

Here’s a link to look over the content and see if it’s a product that will meet your needs. It can be applied over existing existing poly finishes without any stripping or sanding. I find reviews and Q&A’s can often direct me towards the correct purchase. Hope this helps.

https://www.minwax.com/wood-products/one-step-stain-and-finishes/minwax-polyshades

https://www.amazon.com/Minwax-613970444-PolyShades-Polyurethane-Espresso/dp/B00KQK8MEA

I agree with above - are they real wood or plastic? plastic won't stain.

I am just wondering, are they real wood? the doors appear to be. We used a sandpaper on a drill with a fine sandpaper to clean and get the color off then wiped down with a tack cloth, stained darker color and they look great.

I would take the doors off and try to strip them with a product like Citristrip if they are wood. Remove the finish to bare wood if you want to stain them. Regular stain needs to be able to soak into the wood. Start with the coarse grit sandpaper first and work your way to the smoother finish. Good luck!

Yes the cupboards are real wood; oak. Thank you for the wonderful responses!

You'll definitely need to take them down to bare wood then. Sanding will take a while, but using something like citristrip is faster. You could also consider painting them too, but I also understand if you like the look of stained wood.

You should not have to take them to bare wood but you may not have interrupted the grain enough. Also, you will have to leave the stain on much longer to penetrate beyond the stain that is already there.

You can use liquid sandpaper/deglosser to scrape off the finish. Here are some videos that can help you:

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=how+to+use+liquid+sander+video&qpvt=how+to+use+liquid+sander+video&FORM=VDRE

If they are real wood, you need to take the finish off. You can start with using TSP or a good cleaner degreaser. Clean really well and let dry. Then sand the top coat off, use a tack cloth to clean off all the dust. I would use General Finishes stain in a slightly darker color. If you sand down to the bare wood, you can use any color stain. General Finishes also makes a hard top coat. Give them a call they are very helpful.

oak is not easy to work with but if you go to your local Home Depot of Lowes they have set to make your painting job easier