(I thought about putting this in that Barn forum but there doesn’t seem to be much going on over there, so here it is).
Short story: re-finishing an old dresser. Not particularly valuable, just wanted something to work on. I sanded off the old finish rather than using remover. Wanted the new finish very dark, so I used an oil-based Ebony stain, and put on three coats. I wiped off the excess after 15 minutes each time, and let it dry for 24 hours between coats of stain.
Now, 24 hours or more after the last coat, if I run my fingers across the wood, a little stain comes off on my fingers. Not much, just enough to leave fingerprints on everything.
My question is: is this dry enough to finish? Do I need to wait longer, and if so, how long? I’m going to use a satin polyurethane.
ARGH!!! you stained it! i would have advised you to just remove the old paint, rub it clean with wood alcohol, dry and then apply beeswax and buff to a shine. that’s how i want my old wooden furniture.
I’d give it another 24 hours at least, either way. Just to be sure…drying time depends mostly on relative humidity, so whether you’re in Louisiana (humid) or the high plains of Colorado (arid) will be a factor.
I recommend only using Satin for the final coat (or maybe 2). Use clear (glossy) for the initial coats. The Satin gets to be satin by having impurities in it that after several layers muddy the color/grain of the wood below it.
Also, I find wipe on poly’s easier to use (less runs/drips, easier to get a smooth surface esp with nooks and crannies). They’re thinner coats though so it takes more applications. Then again, in non-humid weather you might get 2-3 applications a day.
I’d let your stain dry another day or so. If you want, hit it with a rag with a bit of mineral spirits or naptha on it. Don’t wipe it hard or you’ll rub the stain off (some of it). Hit the back of the dresser or something first. You may just have a lot of stain on there and it could take weeks to cure. Hard to say without seeing it.
The customer (my SO) wanted it to match some other furniture as closely as possibly, hence the ebony stain. Also, the wood wasn’t all that great, this is not an expensive piece, and a dark stain covers up a multitude of flaws.
MobiusStripes, thanks for the excellent advice and cites. Now that you bring it up, I think I have heard this before, and it’s easy enough to do.
I went down this evening and wiped it down thoroughly with a clean cloth, removing a very small amount of the stain that was still not completely dry. So I think it will be ready by tomorrow night to begin the poly.
Roddy