Thread: Wood stain is still tacky after 3 weeks.

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What can i do to dry it up? I need it dry by Mid September? I haven't tried using a blow dryer or a heat gun. Its pretty humid out here and i have my skeletons hanging in the garage hoping they will dry on their own. So far they are not so what can i do?

I don't know what kind of look you are going for, but what I was doing to age things was adding a fine layer of dust before the paint dried. I took some fine mesh and ran dirt over it and got a real fine, dry dust. I lightly coated the whatever prop I was working on and shook of the excess and added some more in places that would age more, in the nooks and crannies. This might be something you could do in certain areas before the tackiness goes away. It might make the stuff look more aged and help get rid of the tackiness. Just a suggestion.

Fireplace ashes work for that, too. I also use them on stretchy webs for a gray, dusty look. Sometimes gel stain takes a looong time to lose it's tack. Try putting the prop in front of a fan overnight. I do that to speed-dry mache props.

Originally Posted by Otaku

Fireplace ashes work for that, too. I also use them on stretchy webs for a gray, dusty look. Sometimes gel stain takes a looong time to lose it's tack. Try putting the prop in front of a fan overnight. I do that to speed-dry mache props.

Awesome idea Otaku, I never thought of fireplace ashes. I have tons of that. I agree with the fan thing too.

Originally Posted by yardhauntjunkie

Awesome idea Otaku, I never thought of fireplace ashes. I have tons of that. I agree with the fan thing too.

I usually spray on some 3M adhesive to get a good cling. If the ashes are really coarse, mash 'em up before sprinkling them on the webs.

Isn't 3 weeks too long for anything to dry? Last year I had the same problem after spraying white primer onto a latex doll. The paint never dried, but I used the prop anyway. Come to find out it was an issue between the paint chemicals and the latex.

its been an ENTIRE YEAR, and when i touch one of my skeletons i corpsed, i still get sticky stain on my hands.

When i made my resident evil dog i used the stain that i am using now and it was dry in nealry a month but then again the humidity in February is way lower than it is now.

This not really helpful if you've already done it, but I used wood dye instead of stain and it dries almost instantly. When mixed with Liquid Latex not carpet, the entire thing was totally dry < 1 day.

Nick,
Ive heard people using UV lights to help cure finishes. Not sure if that will work on stain. Move them to the basement, or use a dehumidifier.
Eric