I'm curious how long it takes for stain to dry before applying a wipe on finish. Yesterday I stained a white oak desktop with General Finishes Gel stain; the instructions on the can recommended 6-8 hrs dry time in "good conditions". I let the stain dry 7-1/2 hours, and the temp was in the mid-60's. When I applied the General Finishes Arm-R-Seal with a rag I noticed some stain coming off the piece onto the rag. This morning the finish looks OK except I'm imagining some subtle blotchiness. My son says it's in my imagination. Should I have waited longer for the stain to cure? Is it normal for some stain to bleed onto the top finish wiping rag?
I'm considering resanding the wood slab and try letting the stain dry longer. I'm not under any particular time pressure and want to make sure I'm doing this right.