Mike Marlow wrote:
Gordon Shumway wrote:

I will begin adding the process of wiping down projects with solvent
prior to staining after this.

You can if you want but it will probably not help you all that much. You
don't have that much oil in your finger tips to create that
problem, unless you're Italian. I'd think it was already in the
door. Even if your finger oils were the culprit, they would blend
with the stain. I don't take anywhere near the precautions that
people suggest here, and I deal with a lot more sensitive materials
than wood stain. I've done plenty of wood staining, and unless I was
staining a piece of wood as I was doing a ball joint lube, I've just
never seen this.

Neither have I and oil base stain would just dissolve any residual body oil.
Never used water base, is it possible that would be blocked by body oil?

You can put WAY too much emphasis on this crap of
wiping down with solvents and all that - it's just not the issue. You
either had imperfections in the wood from the mill, or you
somehow screwed up the wood surface. Maybe too much finger pressure
while trying to do a light sanding? That's usually the first place
to look - not oils and solvents.

+1