How to get a uniform stain on Alder?

[DaveS]

I've stripped the paint from some 1930s hollow internal doors and want to stain them to a honey oak colour. The skins are Alder, about 5mm thick, and have a fairly attractive grain. My earlier attempts at staining have been hit-and-miss but I haven't tried to get a good finish on anything as large as a door and, from some googling, it seems that it can be hard to avoid blotchiness when staining Alder.
My plan is to sand to 180, pre-treat with dilute shellac, and then a light 220 sand before applying the stain. Does this sound sensible? I've read that a gel stain would be preferable but these are new to me and seem hard to find - what does the team think?
All suggestions gratefully received.

 

[mrpercysnodgrass]

How about using a tinted oil like Osmo Honey. I used it on an engineered oak floor applying it with a mini roller and got a really good colour and finish.

 

[DaveS]

How about using a tinted oil like Osmo Honey. I used it on an engineered oak floor applying it with a mini roller and got a really good colour and finish.

Thanks for the suggestion but I'm wary of using a tinted top coat because the light coloured ash will show through when the door is scratched.

 

[baldkev]

Dont do this without testing first, but somewhere in my brain is saying that you should rub the surface fown with meths prior to staining, which will reduce blotchiness.

But i cant remember if i read that somewhere? Ive got a feeling it was on a sikkens instruction booklet, but again, it was ages ago

 

[DaveS]

Yes, I have always done that before staining but I think thinned shellac should be more reliable.