Stain that will not dry

[Ckoerken]

Over the weekend I took the doors and drawers out of my boat and took them home to refinish in the garage. I tested the stain on the back of one of the doors. It looked great. I stained all of the doors Sunday night. It is now Wednesday and on one door the large door that divides the vbirth and head from the galley has three spots that will not dry. What should I do? I assume it has something to do with how the wood was stained/oiled? I appreciate any and all help!

C

 

[kito]

What was on the wood before?.......teak oil? varnish? Not sure why you would stain teak.

 

[Ckoerken]

What was on the wood before?.......teak oil? varnish? Not sure why you would stain teak.

There was furniture polish in the boat when I bought it. The previous owner had used but in a few months it is already very dry. There had also been water in the cabin at some point and there was a line in the wood. I sanded them down and the line went away. I assumed it would need to be stained to get an even color. It looks great with the exception of the areas that will not dry. It is the original wood work is that teak?

Thank you,
C

 

[kito]

You have a Cherubini design and I assume the 25 is like my 30 as far as interior wood. All trim is solid teak and wood panels are mahogany marine plywood covered with teak veneer. Mine was all covered with varnish that I stripped, cleaned and oiled. Mine has some dark streaks that I can't remove too. You can't sand too much on the panels since the veneer is thin.

 

[Ckoerken]

You have a Cherubini design and I assume the 25 is like my 30 as far as interior wood. All trim is solid teak and wood panels are mahogany marine plywood covered with teak veneer. Mine was all covered with varnish that I stripped, cleaned and oiled. Mine has some dark streaks that I can't remove too. You can't sand too much on the panels since the veneer is thin.

Thank you! You are correct it is a Cherubini 25. Good to know!

 

[Dunlookin]

The Bad News...

This is a common problem with old wood.

While the common culprits (wax/finish/solvents) can be addressed by stripping, mineral spirits, sanding, ect, it is impossible to know what organic compound came into contact with the wood throughout its' lifetime when the original protective finish had lost its' protective properties.

I once spent hours sanding a 100+ year old hope-chest I planned on refinishing. The first coat of sealer revealed a number of dark "spots" that were not on the wood prior to sealing...bummer.

You have several options. You can use any number of "strippers" to remove the finish you have already applied. Then sand, then reapply. THERE IS NO GUARANTEE YOU WILL NOT HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM as some other chemical(s) can have seeped into the pores of the wood that are simply resistant to removal.

My first choice is a "cover-up." I simply covered the dark "spots" on the hope-chest with a cushion that I (earlier) did not want to use. On a door, you can consider hooks, a mirror, a taseful decal, hanging light, ect.

When I had a similar poblems with one of my doors I simply mounted a number of hat hooks to a scrap peice of teak and attached the teak board/hooks to the door effectively covering the spots.

 

[justsomeguy]

Sometimes stain has to deal with changing grain patterns, even in veneers.

If there's a mix of grain orientation, that'll show up as blotchy, uneven coloration, and different absorption rates. You can help to prevent this by using a sealer coat of diluted shellac, before staining.

I realize the horse is out of the barn, as far as this remedy goes.

 

[Dunlookin]

Oops...

Most of the doors on the "C" boats have solid teak railes and stiles. These ar the peices that run up and down/left and right to make the "frame" of the door. The flat panels are either veener (a plywood laminate) or a earlier "manufactured" white panel.

You can look at the end of the door (top/bottom) and see that the rails and stiles are solid teak by looking where the pieces are glued together. You can sand these as much as you like, but the offending materials may remain in the organic cells of the wood.

 

[Ckoerken]

Thank you everyone! I guess I will let it sit a couple more days and then if it doesn't dry start striping it off. What a bummer! If all else fails I will get a mirror, it's just such a pretty door I hate to cover that up. I appreciate all the advice.

Fair winds,
C