Tung oil stain wont dry...how fix?

trs80 wrote:
> I put several stain layers on to darken it and close to what mahogany would
> be....very dark. The lightly wiped successive stain layers are like
> translucent paint each one added more shading. The effect is very nice and
> what im looking for.

Was each coat completely dry before you put on the next coat? How old
is your oil/stain?

> Do you think I can spray an urethane semi-gloss over it and be ok?
>
> thanks for any tips.

I would definitely NOT spray anything else over your oil/stain if it's
not dry. If you have the time, I'd put it aside for a few weeks to see
if it dries more, and if not, you might need to start over. (see if
mineral spirits takes it off, and if not, scrape/sand...)
Sorry, I know that's not what you want to hear - maybe someone else
will have more encouraging advice.
Good luck,
Andy

trs80 wrote:
> But the stain seems to stay tacky forever. I tented the project and put a
> heat lamp and kept it at around 80F for 2 days and it doesnt seem to make
> any difference. The finish is still tacky and soft.

I don't know the exact formulation of the stain you are using, but I'll
tell you my experiences with 100% pure tung oil -- it takes forever for
a coat to cure. I've waited in excess of two weeks for pure tung to
cure on WRC. I've had better drying times with pure tung cut with
paint thinner on ash, maybe one week or so.

Tung oil (if it isn't a pre-oxidized formulation) needs oxygen to cure
properly, so you may want to provide some airflow.

Hope this helps.

- Daniel H

ok.. thanks. I put a fan on it and Ill give it a week since I cant do
anything with it before then anyway. If not cured ill removed and try
another approach to get the dark stain color I need.
thanks

"Daniel H" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> trs80 wrote:
>> But the stain seems to stay tacky forever. I tented the project and put
>> a
>> heat lamp and kept it at around 80F for 2 days and it doesnt seem to make
>> any difference. The finish is still tacky and soft.
>
> I don't know the exact formulation of the stain you are using, but I'll
> tell you my experiences with 100% pure tung oil -- it takes forever for
> a coat to cure. I've waited in excess of two weeks for pure tung to
> cure on WRC. I've had better drying times with pure tung cut with
> paint thinner on ash, maybe one week or so.
>
> Tung oil (if it isn't a pre-oxidized formulation) needs oxygen to cure
> properly, so you may want to provide some airflow.
>
> Hope this helps.
>
> - Daniel H
>

trs80 wrote:
> I am using a tung oil based stain that was custom mixed for
> mahogany color. I put it on red oak table.
>
> I put several stain layers on to darken it and close to what
> mahogany would be....very dark. The lightly wiped successive
> stain layers are like translucent paint each one added more
> shading. The effect is very nice and what im looking for.

But stain ain't paint. With oil stain, one puts it on, lets it soak
and then wipes it off vigorously. Then you let it dry and add your
top coats of clear finish.

What you could have done is stain, let dry then topcoat with color
*in* the top coat. That's a "toner" and each coat adds more color.

BTW, mahogany isn't "very dark"...it is generally a rather bright
orange red.
_______________

> Do you think I can spray an urethane semi-gloss over it and be ok?

Only if you want an even bigger mess.


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dadiOH
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RE: Subject

My guess is it won't dry properly.

Probably time for acetone, terry cloth rags, a lot of elbow grease and
time.


Lew