I have stained many many board feet of wood, but lately I have noticed something puzzling.
I have been staining oak for trim in my home. I apply the stain with a foam brush, Just my choice. let the stain sit 5 to ten minutes or until I acheive the color I want, then wipe the excess off. Basically following the MFR. suggestions.
Then as I let it dry it is like some oil or stain is released from the grain of the wood. It almost looks like you splattered stain on the wood. So I wipe again and periodically thru the day.
The first time I noticed it, was last summer I was staining base trim outside in the sun/shade I thought it was just the humidity or sun.
Any ideas? It is kind of aggravating because if you get busy or leave the spots will dry and would be noticable.
Thanks.
Webby
Replies
I have had that problem with oak using Minwax stain. I switched to ML Campbell or Sherwin Williams Sherwood Classics and have not had any more problems. Someone told me it was the high mineral sprits base in Minwax but that is not substantiated. What brand are you using?
Hope this helps
Mark
Yes it is minwax. I have not tried any other stain brands. I have bunches of minwax so I guess I will just be vigilant in my wiping.
ThanksWebby
I'll bet it's red oak rather than white oak. The pores in red oak are quite open and lots of stain can penetrate into them. Going for fuller body stains than Minwax will likely help considerably. You can also help by not being excessively lavish with the amount of stain applied initially.
It's weeping out of the pores, yep. If it is indeed red oak, rather than white (or maybe even if it's white), I'll suggest wet-sanding the stain on. this creates a slurry of wood and stain, which fills the pores just enough to solve the problem.
Another important thing is to apply the stain in a warm room. If you apply it in the cold, and then the room heats up, yuck.
Thanks guyss you are right, red oak.
I dont think it is worth the trouble to wet sand, just something to watch out for.Webby
Sounded like red oak. Wetsanding, IMHO, isn't much of a bother. I happen to love the finish it leaves behind, as the pores are less prominent and the feel is quite nice.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
I've had that happen with Minwax stains on oak or other porus woods. Two things seemed to help.
1. Don't stain in direct sunlight - particularly if it's hot.
2. Shorten your wait to wipe off the excess. Stain soaks deep, then weeps back out.
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