How long does stain and poly last in the can?

the68

I'm working on refinishing an antique table and I'm finally ready to stain and poly it. I already have a can of Minwax stain and a can of Duron poly from about 8 years ago when we built our house. Is this stuff still okay to use for a table top? After putting this much work into refinishing the table top I don't want to put something on it that isn't going to bond well. I also have two new cans of Minwax stain and Minwax poly that I purchased yesterday... but if I can use the old stuff and expect it to hold up I can take the new stuff back.

Thanks for any suggestions!

Ironlight

Pretty definitely not. The prevailing wisdom is that polyurethane has a shelf life of two years, less if previously opened.

I'm not sure about the stain. I think if you test it and it dries adequately then you'll be fine but I'm no coatings expert.

Bob Mariani

stain will last indefinitely but settles. A lot of mixing by stirring will be needed. Poly has a one to three year shelf life depending on type.