# Poly lifted with masking tape



## jhlash (Mar 26, 2013)

Let me say first I have been using poly for 20 years and this has never happened to me before. I used some old Cabot oil based stain on some kitchen cabinets to match existing color in kitchen. The can says it stains AND seals the wood. I have not seen the sealing part before on an oil based stain. I applied 4 coats of MinWax gloss poly and let it dry a day between coats and 3 weeks after final coat before rubbing out.
I then put blue masking tape on the draw front to mark where I wanted to drill the pull holes. When I took the tape off I noticed that he finish had lifted in a few places where the tape was. I lightly sanded and noticed the finish just coming off. I than was able to take a razor blade and just scrape the finish off in sheets. The poly hadn't adhered to the stain. The stain can says can finish with varnish. Does anybody have some insight on what is going on here? Can I refinish with out removing the stain. It is the only stain that matched the existing cabinets perfectly.


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## HowardAcheson (Nov 25, 2011)

Poly varnishes have relatively poor adhesion to other finishes. It doen't even stick well to itself which is the reason that between coat abrading is called for.

All oil based stains contain a varnish to adhere the pigment in the stain to the surface of the wood. Because of this varnish, the surface and pores of the wood are "sealed" just as if you had applied a very thin coat of varnish.

The problem I suspect is the "old" Cabot stain. Oil oil based finishes are subject to longer and longer curing times. It's very possible that the stain has not properly dried and cured. It can feel dry once the thinner evaporates but the varnish may not be fully cured. Applying multiple coats of varnish later will greatly impede the oxygen needed for your varnish to properly dry.

Not being able to see the damage, I can't recommend the next step. The easiest thing to do is to keep the item in a warm place with some induced air movement and see if it cures after a couple of weeks. If not, you will have to refinish.

Never use old finishing materials. It's never good practice. Finishes are the least coat item in a project but can have the most negative affect on the project.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

Any oil stain will seal to some extent regardless of whether it says so on the can or not. As far as your problem, another posibility is you didn't get the excess stain wiped off and the poly adhered to the stain instead of the wood. It's real important not to leave any excess stain on the surface expecially with polyurethane. If you were using lacquer, it would be more likely to eat through the stain and bond.


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