Stain still tacky 3 days later

Honestly, I think I’d just wipe the piece down with a lint free shop cloth or one of those disposable blue cloths at this point. Start in a hidden spot on the piece to see if the stain is going to blanch in spots. IF it does, you’ve got something odd going on with your wood. I’m betting not though, and perhaps you got overzealous with the stain when you put it on.

My 2 cents, hope it help!

Milo

-- Beer, Beer, Thank God for Beer. It's my way of keeping my mind fresh and clear...

One of the problems with oak and oil stains is that being so porous oak can bleed out stain from its pores for several days. As Milo said, wipe off any excess with a clean cloth. If I were doing this I would lightly sand and apply a seal coat of shellac (2 lb cut) to the wood prior to putting on the poly. Oil base stains may bleed into the topcoat unless the stained wood is sealed.

-- With God's help all things are possible- even woodworking. Woodworking is not just a hobby, it is an (expletive deleted) expensive hobby.

Great info guys. I appreciate it. Both ideas have worked very nicely…

-- Chip, Massachusetts