Furniture, Wood and Cabinetry Finishing - is too much stain bad?

I am finishing some shelves with cherry stain and then plan to apply poly. Would applying too many coats of stain affect adhesion of the poly? I just noticed that shelves I had previously finished have areas where the poly is pealing up. Any thoughts?

Thanks!!!

yes, too much stain is bad. You need to wipe off all the stain that does not penetrate the wood. if you leave the stain on it will dry and leave the pigment on the surface of wood. The finish sticks to this pigment, not to the wood. The pigment does not stick to anything. Once stress is applied to the substrate, then the finish will likely pop off.

Thanks for the reply.

One more question; if there aren't any shiney spots is it safe to assume the stain penetrated the wood?

As long as you wipe off the stain shortly after you apply it, there shouldn't be any concerns. generally if there are shiny spots - you didn't wipe off the stain well.

If you use an oil base varnish/poly there shouldn't be a peeling problem. If too much stain is used, the poly will lift the excess stain [usually making a mess] and should bond to the wood. If using a waterbased poly, the stain must be good and dry [with no excess] or the poly won't bond with the wood.

Thanks guys.

I used a water based stain and plan on using a water based poly.

I applied the stain with a rag instead of a brush this time. I just checked and there are not a shiney areas.

So I guess I am ready to apply poly :)

Thanks again guys.

:wall:oooooppppsss! I just realized that I am using an oil based stain (minwax 235). Does that change anything????

Minwax wood finish needs a minimum of 8 hours to dry before finishing. I prefer to wait 24 hours before finishing so that all the solvents can evaporate.

According to the FAQ on Minwax's website, "Red Mahogany" is the only oil based color that should not be coated with a water based finish. Perhaps it has iron oxides in the color that react poorly with the waterborne finish.