Staining problem, I desperately hope the parts can be saved

[Peanut6]

After 24 hours drying time my mast, bowsprit, boom and gaff halyard are just a bit tacky.  Going back and reliving yesterday afternoon, I can only guess that I didn't wipe off the excess stain and it dried.  I stained the items mentioned above plus my rudder.  After staining I wiped the excess off the rudder and was called away from the shipyard.  I remembered the pieces hours later and thought I was okay because I remembered wiping down the rudder.  The rudder is just fine so I know it isn't the stain.  As I said, the pieces feel just the tiniest bet tacky, running my fingers over the pieces leaves no marks and no stain comes off onto my hands.  I'm know it must be handled but I have no clue how to go about it.  Any insights or solutions would be greatly appreciated.  I'm desperate as a spacer I had to make a attach to the mast so it would fit properly took me an entire day to fabricate.

[James H]

Is the timber walnut?

 

I know when I add poly varnish, it can take 2 or 3 days to fully dry as it the walnut seems impervious.

 

Maybe leave it another 48hrs and see. You could use some rag dampened with white spirit and gently wipe them down, then leave for a while. 

[Peanut6]

James,

The wood is Ramin and the stain is an oil based MinWax.  I just read a little sentence tucked in a corner of the label that mineral spirits or paint thinner is to used for clean up.  I was just mulling it thru my mind to do just what you said using a rag and mineral spirits.  Assuming that this works, would anybody have an idea of what mineral spirits will do to PVA?  My concern is with the cheeks, bowsprit support and of the utmost importance is the spacer.  It is 2 pieces glued together to get the height I needed and is in the shape of a half circle with on ID of 11/64" and maybe 1.5 MM thick.    

Edited August 2, 2021 by Peanut6
typo

[Snug Harbor Johnny]

  'Don't know how old your stain was, but a 'rule of thumb' is not to use anything that has sat around for years.  Dating cans when bought is a thought.  But I've added two or three drops of 'Japan dryer' to oil or mineral-based stains and mixed well before use (also for alkyd paints) - that will often 'revitalize' old stain.  Once tin of Japan dryer is all anyone needs for a 'lifetime', since it is used sparingly.  The effect is to promote polymerization and cross-linkage of the stain or paint, thus promote drying.  Also, doing a 'test piece' before coloring anything 'important' is recommended.  BTW, my experience with Minwax has been that it is slow to dry-out, and furniture so treated will have the 'Minwax smell' for several days.  Wiping away any excess is important for most stains, and being patient by waiting 3 or 4 days may do the trick.  Note also that 'today's Minwax' has been significantly re-formulated from the Minwax of old in order to reduce the VOC content ... something that has happened nation-wide (and is actually 'green' as they say).  The product affected the most is deck stains.  The 'good old' penetrating stain/preservative (like redwood deck stain) is no more, and the reformulated replacements 'clean-up' with water ... not like the turpentine or other solvent needed in years gone by.  Also, many of the solvents you can buy now have been re-formulated ... like MEK 'substitute'.    And Thompson's Water Seal sin't what it used to be either.

 

Hang-on, mate and do a few other things ... after all, SOMEWHERE the sun is over the yardarm!     Johnny

[Peanut6]

Johnny, thanks for the information.  I too have experienced numerous products that "aren't what they used to be".  I can understand why formulations have changed but it's still frustrating not to get the same results one has come to know and count on.  I do know the stain is good since an item I stained at the same time, and did get wiped off, turned out just fine.  Unless some other information comes around, I don't see how another day or two of drying could hurt.  If I do have to resort to the mineral spirits rub down I really am concerned what it might do to the PVA.  In the mean time I'll continue with my oars, have 4 of the eight handles shaped and lots more I would like to do to them.  

[Richard44]

Glue up two pieces of scrap with your PVA, let dry, and try the mineral spirits on it. I don't think there will be any effect, after all, the stain you have applied is oil/mineral spirit based.

[Snug Harbor Johnny]

  If you need to remove gummy excess, use lint-free cloth (medium weight linen is good if you have it) and use a sparing amount of either mineral oil or what I like is 'odorless' paint thinner ... the kind Bob Ross (and Bill Alexander) used for their paint brushes when making masterpieces (let's put in a happy little cloud right here ... it's your world, and you can do anything you want).  The moistened cloth should 'pull' off the excess with just a little pressure moving the cloth in one direction.  Now that I better grasp your situation (in that you did not initially wipe away excess), I would not wait any longer since that can make delayed removing the excess more difficult (e.g.  more passes with fresh cloths).   Each time what is removed will discolor the surface of the cloth as the fibers 'collect' unwanted pigments - just like sandpaper gets 'loaded'.  So a fresh surface is needed after a couple of passes for the most effective removal.

 

 Don't use turpentine (or other solvents like naphtha) since they do throw vapors and there is the potential of spontaneous combustion if spent rags are bunched together.  After using mineral oil or 'odorless' paint thinner, I put the spent material loose in a bucket and move that to a porch or just outside the house (if it is not raining) to de-vapor.  When dry they can go out with the trash.

 

  By using the solvent sparingly, it should have no effect on any wood or composite wood substrate.  If there is an inside corner you need to reach, a small stick of wood or thin tool can push the solvent cloth where needed on the model.   Johnny

[Roger Pellett]

Mineral spirits, aka paint thinners, are petroleum based.  PVA glues are affected by alcohol.  Wiping down the area in question with mineral spirits should not affect your glued joints.  It is certainly a good idea to follow Richard’s advice to try any solvent that you intend to use on a couple of pieces of scrap glued together first.

 

Roger

[Peanut6]

The gentle mineral spirit rub down has been completed and it worked better than I could have hoped.  The pieces are already dry and feel exactly as they should.  I could have lived with the extra dark hue my mistake created but just enough stain was removed to really high light the wood grain.  I think I'll give them an over night rest before I move on with them, I'm sure they have to be as traumatized as I was.  I can't tell you how much I was dreading spending the next 2-3 days to replace what I had redone from my first go around on my little Jolly Boat.  Johnny and Roger thank you so much for your guidance, it is greatly appreciated.

[bridgman]

Your staining problem is probably based one the wood being used. Ramin has a different cellular structure than other woods, its more like a bamboo

thus it absorbs stain differently. Thats why the rudder dried quicker than the ramin parts.

Another suggestion, something I have done for years both for modeling and woodworking,is to use paper towels with any petroleum based solvents.

It appears solvents will not oxidize the paper material as it does with rag material (cotton based fabric is the worst).

Bridgman Bob

 

[James H]

31 minutes ago, Peanut6 said:

The gentle mineral spirit rub down has been completed and it worked better than I could have hoped.  The pieces are already dry and feel exactly as they should.  I could have lived with the extra dark hue my mistake created but just enough stain was removed to really high light the wood grain.  I think I'll give them an over night rest before I move on with them, I'm sure they have to be as traumatized as I was.  I can't tell you how much I was dreading spending the next 2-3 days to replace what I had redone from my first go around on my little Jolly Boat.  Johnny and Roger thank you so much for your guidance, it is greatly appreciated.

 

Glad that worked for you. Had loads of probs in past with stuff remaining tacky for a while but thankfully a little white spirit always relieves the pain 😁