Staining/Finishing Wood Problems
#1
02-10-15, 06:13 PM
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Staining/Finishing Wood Problems
Hi, I have started a bigger project than I should have taken on as I've never stained or refinished furniture before. I wanted to stain a dresser that is in my dining room so that the stain matches the table. I bought Minwax Oil-based Stain (Ebony).
I sanded everything down and had no problems with applying the stain, I got it to the darkness I was wanting. I did wipe off the excess stain about 10-15 minutes later and once the stain was dry I wiped it with my finger but the color still wiped off onto my hand. I just thought that it was supposed to do that and I have applied 1 coat of polyurethane so far and I'm thinking I have made a big mistake as the poly still is tacky/gummy after 5 hours as I should be sanding and applying the second coat now.
Can anyone help or tell me what I did wrong, How can I fix this?
I sanded everything down and had no problems with applying the stain, I got it to the darkness I was wanting. I did wipe off the excess stain about 10-15 minutes later and once the stain was dry I wiped it with my finger but the color still wiped off onto my hand. I just thought that it was supposed to do that and I have applied 1 coat of polyurethane so far and I'm thinking I have made a big mistake as the poly still is tacky/gummy after 5 hours as I should be sanding and applying the second coat now.
Can anyone help or tell me what I did wrong, How can I fix this?
#2
02-10-15, 06:18 PM
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Have you read the instructions on the can? You do know that you are supposed to wait a minimum of 8 hours after you apply the stain before putting on any type of finish, right? I usually wait 24 hours to be sure.
If the stain came off when you touched it, it makes me think that you probably did not sand all of the previous finish off, and your stain may not have penetrated much.
Poly can take a long time to dry depending on the temperature, humidity, and how thick you put it on... up to 24 hours even. Bottom line is, you don't rush it. It has to be COMPLETELY dry before you sand (220 grit) and apply the next coat or you will have problems. I don't like Minwax poly... IMO it takes too long to dry. You did stir the can well with a paint stick, right?
If the stain came off when you touched it, it makes me think that you probably did not sand all of the previous finish off, and your stain may not have penetrated much.
Poly can take a long time to dry depending on the temperature, humidity, and how thick you put it on... up to 24 hours even. Bottom line is, you don't rush it. It has to be COMPLETELY dry before you sand (220 grit) and apply the next coat or you will have problems. I don't like Minwax poly... IMO it takes too long to dry. You did stir the can well with a paint stick, right?
#3
02-10-15, 06:38 PM
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I've read all the instructions and followed them. I waited about 12-13 hours before putting on the poly. I spent all day sanding down the dresser and the stain was dry but it was a dark powder type stuff that would wipe off after even 12 hours, I am more than positive that the finish was off everywhere. The poly as of now is not wet it just has a feel of when pop has dried up.
#4
02-10-15, 07:10 PM
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Ok, well that probably sounds normal then. You may have left a bit of stain on the surface that could have been wiped down better, but not to worry. You will just have to wait... it will dry sooner or later. When a light scuff sanding with 220 grit creates a light powder, that's dry enough to sand. If it's sticky at all or leaves gum in the sandpaper its still not dry.
Be sure to clean the surfaces well after your light sanding. And I mean "Light"! Many people sand too much, and on an ebony surface that would really be bad! Be especially careful on any edge or corner. You only want to take off any dust or hairs that may have dried in the previous coat.
Be sure to clean the surfaces well after your light sanding. And I mean "Light"! Many people sand too much, and on an ebony surface that would really be bad! Be especially careful on any edge or corner. You only want to take off any dust or hairs that may have dried in the previous coat.
#5
02-11-15, 03:41 AM
It can be difficult to remove all of the old finish by sanding alone. Generally it's best to use a chemical stripper first, then sand. As noted above, how long it takes poly to dry depends on several factors; temperature, humidity and the condition of the substrate it's applied over. Poly/varnish has changed some over the years but I remember a job over 40 yrs ago where we stained/varnished a lot of wood on a friday and when we returned on monday, not all of the wood was dry enough to sand.
Sanding between coats of poly [and removing the dust] both helps make a slicker finish and promotes good adhesion. As noted above you want to make sure you don't sand thru the poly and into the stain! If it needs a LOT more sanding it can be sanded more after the next coat of poly. It usually takes 3 coats of poly to get a nice finish.
Sanding between coats of poly [and removing the dust] both helps make a slicker finish and promotes good adhesion. As noted above you want to make sure you don't sand thru the poly and into the stain! If it needs a LOT more sanding it can be sanded more after the next coat of poly. It usually takes 3 coats of poly to get a nice finish.
#6
02-11-15, 05:54 PM
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Im pretty sure that the old finish was off as I first used a stripper but it wasnt working that well, so i began to sand it. I then applied a coat of stain, figured out I didnt have all the finish off and sanded for hours and hours until the wood was a complete dull light wood color with no shine to it. The stain did dry 100% but it was like a dust type substance that wiped onto my finger. I did some research and figured it was dried excess stain that didnt get wiped off and got as much off as possible before putting poly on.
It's now been about 30 hours and its dry in some areas but mostly still a gummy feel to it. Ive brought it into the house where its warmer than the garage and it hasnt changed much.
It's now been about 30 hours and its dry in some areas but mostly still a gummy feel to it. Ive brought it into the house where its warmer than the garage and it hasnt changed much.
#7
02-11-15, 06:39 PM
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Give it another day in the warmer temperatures. My guess is that you probably brushed it on way too thick. Many people get tired of trying to brush out the poly and spread it as thin as possible, so they start dipping the brush more often, as if they were painting a fence or something. Poly is best applied in very thin, even coats.
Now that its almost dry, you could put a fan on it to speed up the evaporation of the solvents. But don't have a fan on when the poly is wet, that will just blow dust into the tacky poly.
Did you use a china bristle brush to apply the poly?
Now that its almost dry, you could put a fan on it to speed up the evaporation of the solvents. But don't have a fan on when the poly is wet, that will just blow dust into the tacky poly.
Did you use a china bristle brush to apply the poly?
#8
02-12-15, 03:27 AM
As noted, thickly applied coatings take longer to dry. Cool temps and/or high humidity will also slow down the drying/curing process. Generally if the stain didn't dry properly before applying the poly, the poly will rewet the stain and move it around the wood. Since that hasn't been mentioned I would rule out the stain not having dried sufficiently.
