GF Armorseal over GF oil based stain?

[Howad]

I've got some GF oil based stain on a piece of 1/4 inch ply that is serving as a bottom of a tray.  the stain is on kinda thick 'cause i needed to hide an unattractive surface and I now have a nice streaking that is attractive.  Question one is will this stuff ever dry enough to be hard enough to set glasses and such on?  Also, a follow on question - can I apply GF armorseal on top?  I think I can (tested on a test piece) but unless the base is hard, the Armor seal will pull the base layer off while brushing.  I've got the sides of the tray glued up already so I'd hate to have to remake the botom.  Thanks for any insight.

 

[tiralie]

Question one is will this stuff ever dry enough to be hard enough to set glasses and such on? 

It  depends on how thick it is. It will dry out eventually but it may take a while. The GF stains are formulated to be applied thinly (brushed on and wiped off) so it probably will take a while to dry, and it will be a relatively weak adhesion because of how thick it is and because most stains contain very little binder.

Also, a follow on question - can I apply GF armorseal on top? 

You need to seal it first. Use some Zinsser or similar shellac in a spray can to seal the stain without disturbing the surface. Two light (misted) coats will be good.
Then you can brush the Armor-seal over the shellac.

You can brush the Armor-seal or what ever over the stain but invariably you will pull up some of the stain and ruin the effect.There is always a spot you want to brush over again, and then the color comes up because the top finish dissolves the top layer of the stain.
Tim