Minwax Mystey

[Petertaylor]

This is not a complaint or a question, just a bafflement.

I made a bed headboard out of very old wood, stuff in my shed, various species. Sanded it down to 160 and sprayed on Minwax Penetrating Seal. The reason a sprayer was used is that headboard design includes a fancy, carved upper front board from an upright piano. That panel has a very rough “patina” texture gained through a hundred years of age. 

I didn’t spray it on thickly, just a very light spray, over and over. Here’s the dilemma; the finish never dried!  (High humidity in northern Illinois.) Today, using mineral spirits, I rubbed all the sticky finish off.  Now I plan to paint it.

[fredhargis]

Peter, I'm not exactly sure which product that is, I searched and didn't get one with that name. But (it's a guess) generally is it's an oil based product and didn't cure it's probably very old. Was the stuff you used from an unopened can? That aside, you're comment about the humidity may also be the cause...one other thing, how long did you wait? Just curious so none of the rest of us have the same mishap.

[Petertaylor]

It was a just-purchased can of Minwax Penetrating Stain. Is it possible that spraying it caused the drying agent to evaporate?  Anyway, after a week it was still sticky, so as mentioned, I rubbed it all off with mineral spirits. After waiting another day for that to dry, the headboard got painted with latex, and the project is done. (I tried to post an image, but no matter what I do, it says, Image too large.)
Peter

[fredhargis]

I don't think spraying was the problem. Any solvent in the stain had to evaporate before what's left cured...the curing is a reaction where it oxidizes, sometimes (usually, actually) placing a small fan to blow across it will make it cure faster. It's possible  that the humidity slowed it down so much you got the results you did. In any case it sounds like you moved on to Plan B.