# Too much stain?



## bdclayton (Aug 28, 2011)

Hello!

I'm a "rookie" taking on a my first refinishing project. I just started refinishing a dining room set. I started with the chairs first. After stripping them down to bare wood, I applied three coats of Minwax oil stain. We are going for a very dark color, so I applied plenty of stain to each coat, trying to wipe off the excess as I go. After three coats, we are very happy with the color, and it seems to be drying ok, but the stain on the chair is very glossy. We are also fine with the gloss (we plan to use the minwax fast drying poly semigloss) but I'm concerned that there is too much stain on the chair and the finish may not adhere properly. I've read that the finish may eventually peel if there is excess stain. Is it safe to apply the finish coat or do I need to wipe the surface down with mineral spirits and then apply the finish coats? Any help would be much appreciated! I just want to know that I'm on the right track before I start on the table and china cabinet. Thanks!


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## Aris (Aug 31, 2011)

Hi, is the stain finish still tacky to the touch at all and will it still rub off if you wipe a dry rag over it? If it is not tacky and will not rub off, then it should take a good poly finish without any problems. You should always remove any excess stain that will come off, before finishing the piece. When you do put a finish on the piece, start with a thin coat and let that dry completely. Then use a plastic sanding sponge to just remove any shine before putting on the second coat. I find the plastic sanding pads or sponges as I call them are great for light sanding such as between finish coats. Metal pads can leave shards that will cause black spots later from rusting and sand papers usually cut too deep. For heavily used furniture like dining room chairs and tables I would use at least 3 good coats of poly and even more is you have the time especially on the table top. Good luck on your project.


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## bdclayton (Aug 28, 2011)

Thanks! It doesn't feel tacky. But I did try rubbing a dry cloth over some areas this morning, and a little stain did end up coming off. Not very much, though. Would you suggest that I just rub down all the pieces with the cloth to get the excess off, or do I need to use mineral spirits? I'm afraid that if I use mineral spirits that I may end up having to apply another coat of stain afterwards, which would make the color even darker! Thanks again for your help!


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

bdclayton said:


> Thanks! It doesn't feel tacky. But I did try rubbing a dry cloth over some areas this morning, and a little stain did end up coming off. Not very much, though. Would you suggest that I just rub down all the pieces with the cloth to get the excess off, or do I need to use mineral spirits? I'm afraid that if I use mineral spirits that I may end up having to apply another coat of stain afterwards, which would make the color even darker! Thanks again for your help!


Don't wipe with mineral spirits. Just use a lint free rag and wipe off. The stain hasn't dried completely. If stain applications were not allowed to dry completely, subsequent coatings will prolong the drying of previous applications. This will impart to the surface. Allow it to dry. I don't sand the stain.

Allow each application of topcoating to dry completely before recoating. You can sand off nibs and debris between applications with 320x sandpaper.












 







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