Arm-R-Seal over GF Gel Stain NOT DRYING! HELP!

[John F. Gates]

Sunday early evening (5 PM) I put GF oil based Gel Stain on my white oak desk. The next AM around 7, I applied the first coat of GF Arm-R-Seal and it is still not dry. The shop is 60% relative humidity and 70 degrees. The stain was dry to the touch. The instructions stated that I wait 12-24 hrs based upon drying conditions. Since the conditions were perfect, I thought 14 hours was enough. Again, the gel stain seemed very dry to the touch.

THanks for any help! I have to deliver this project Thursday! Yikes!!!

[Wayne Lomman]

Contact GF asap. I just reviewed the data sheets for both products and yes, you have done it by the book. I would expect it to work. Sorry I can't offer more help. Good luck. Cheers

[Prashun Patel]

Apologies if these are obvious questions...

1) Did you wipe the gel stain off completely? It's tempting to paint it on, but the excess should be wiped off well.
2) How did you apply the Arm R Seal? Wiped or brushed?
3) Was the Arm R Seal a new can?
4) when you say 'not dry' describe how the surface looks and feels. Is it smooth, but just tacky? Are there any blisters?
5) What is the air flow like in the room? While you don't want enough air movement to cause a lot of dust (although with a wiping varnish that's really a non-issue) you do want enough movement to allow the solvent to evaporate and to expose it to oxygen which allows it to harden.

70 degrees is ok, but for me is on the slightly cool side. I suspect you will see it dry within the next couple hours. If you are in a hurry, you can elevate the temp to 75-80 and use a fan to get air flowing.

[John F. Gates]

Thank you both for offering suggestions!

Both the oil stain and the finish were brand-new. After I applied the stain liberally, I then buffed it with a clean dry cloth as per the instructions. They actually used the term "burnish".

I agree that 70° is minimum, but on their website they said 70° and 70% humidity are perfect. Your thought about it warmer area had already come to me, and they're sitting in the sun in the driveway! :-) It'll either kill them or cure them.

By the way, the finish is slightly tacky to the touch, no blisters or any do you formations. Again thank you both!

[Prashun Patel]

Be careful about putting it on the driveway under direct sunlight. If the surface gets hot, then you can get a phenomenon where the surface skins and the residual solvent under the surface tries to escape too fast. That will cause blistering. You really want even, warm-at-most temps.

[Prashun Patel]

Well? Any word?

[John TenEyck]

I find that it is far better to let any oil based stain dry for at least 48 hours before putting finish over it, 72 hours is even better. At 60% RH I would definitely wait as long as possible. The first coat of Arm-R-Seal can often take at least 24 hours before it's really dry, too. I've often found it sticky after only 12 hours. I would not put it in the sun; rather, I would turn a fan on it gently to get some air circulating.

If the stain had not fully dried and the ARS was applied as a heavy coat, I could see it taking well over 24 hours to dry. Patience. And air flow.

John

[John F. Gates]

Thank you all for your help and ideas. Yes, I was premature in applying the ARS. I should have waited another 12 hours or so for the gel stain to cure. I did call GF and she explained that the finish actually re-liquified the gel stain...and then the film of ARS does not let the gel cure. Weird.

Thanks again and I'll be far more patient (I hope) in the future!