Stain probkem?

Marilyn: You might want to do both!

Is it humid where you are? Did you just stain it recently? Sometimes the stain takes longer to dry depending on the conditions.

Stain will not dry properly if you don't wipe the excess off right away. If it is still tacky, you may need to wipe it down with a rag and the solvent that the can says to use to clean your brushes.

What finish did you use the black stain over Marilyn? If you used stain over an existing finish without doing any prep work first your stain would come off just as you have mentioned.

Try adding poly on a small patch to see if it works before doing the whole thing.

I would wipe first with then poly.

Most stains need a sealer. Wipe down then add 2 coats of polyeureathane. Lightly sand between coats with 000steel wool.

Wipe it down with mineral spirits. Then seal with three coats of a water based polyurethane. Minwax Polycrylic is a good choice.

Thanks you this was the most helpful!

I would poly over it