ok. Finish 'error'?

[taterbug]

Thought I would just 'touch-up' a couple of scratches on the loaner CVA i got back after last deer season.  Someone said he thought he heard it fall in the bed of the truck!  Grr....

I know I used Birchwood Casey Tru-oil the last time I re-finished it, about 20 years ago.  But I thought I had modified it with Turps, or stand oil BLO(or both?), cant remember now. 

The new spots of BC Tru-oil is NOT setting up, or curing.  Staying gummy after almost a week now.  I know originally (20 years ago) it was setting up within an hour. 

Is it because the Tru-oil is old?  Still seemed same consistency as original.  Because of the modded finish under it?  The weather?  really humid here. 

just for context, I did scrape the damaged area back with a scraper, and the finish was very hard, almost like shellac but I know I've never used that.  so now I'm not sure if I modded it originally, or what I actually used. 

I dont have too much problem with stripping it all back if I have to, any recommendations what should I use for that?  just looking for some 'best practices' before I ruin the whole thing and tempted to toss it in the trash.

I know there was a recent post about using a popular brand in a bottle, but cant bring myself to waste any sort of drinking likker tho'!

Thanks folks!

[wvcruffler]

sit it in a sunny window for a day or two and leave it along. Might harden up to where you can blend it a bit.

[bama]

You may have put it on a little too thick which can lead to the problem you are talking about. Rub it out good with an old terry cloth towel then let it set for a day or two. Once it does not feel tacky, rub a very thin coat of the Tru Oil on and that should fix the problem.

[Birddog6]

Yes, it does get old & will not dry, especially if it has been opened & if it is humid.  You might put 1 drop of Japan Dryer in it & shake it well & try it on something else.  THIN coat. I don't know if you can ever buy Japan dryer any more.

As Jim said, you may have put it on too thick as well.  I have used allot of Tru-Oil & I put just barely where you can see it on the tip of my finger & rub that in til dry. Then move over & go again.

   

[Habu]

Yes, it does get old & will not dry, especially if it has been opened & if it is humid.  You might put 1 drop of Japan Dryer in it & shake it well & try it on something else.  THIN coat. I don't know if you can ever buy Japan dryer any more.
 

Sherwin Williams markets a Japan Dryer, and there are a number of offerings on Amazon.

[Birddog6]

I have a pint can I have had a long time.  The stuff is really  POTENT, so use it sparingly.

[whetrock]

I have an old jar of Birchwood Casey Tru-oil that I've had for 46 years. I used it on a CVA kit rifle when I first got it years ago, then didn't use it for years, but have been using it on saw handles for the last few years. It's thicker than when I first got it, but it dries just fine in my humidity-controlled shop. I put it on the way Birddog6 said, a drop at a time, rubbed in with my finger tips and palms, in super thin coats. On saw handles I put on 4-6 coats over a week or more, depending on how it is drying. I never add any more until the last coat is completely cured and not tacky at all. Trying to rush it will just ruin it. If there is ever a spot that seems too thick, I wipe it off with a clean paper towel.

[FDR]

Put a few drops in a cup then add the same number of drops of mineral spirits. Mix and use the thinned finish. Goes on easy and dries faster. Add more coats as needed.

[Woodpecker]

Smear a drop on glass to find out how long the dry time is and remember that linseed oil based finishes oxidize so they need air and warmth helps; convection I believe.

I once did a finish in a basement and after a week I could put a hair dryer to it and the oil would sweat out. Moved it in a sunlit window and it dried in 24hrs. Now I always put a smear on glass beside it to make sure it's dry between coats.

[Scota4570]

I assume stock finishing is not a main hobby.  That is fine, my answer assumes that.  I have not used any Truoil for many decades.  I am not saying it is bad, I have to go out of my way to get it and I see no advantages to it.  Others like it, that is fine. 

I'd cut my losses and start over.  sound like there may be oil, furniture polish or something on the stock. Could be old tru oil.  Rub off the goo with mineral spirits and maroon scotchbrite or steel wool.  Lacquer thinner may work faster.  Please do this outside in a well ventilated area.  When you are down to the wood wipe it clean.  And let it try for a day.  You will have filled grain and a smooth stock.  This is a good place to be.  You cold stain it darker with brown leather dye if it pleases you. 

Then finish with spar varnish, or new tru oil.  Cut the varnish 50% with mineral spirits.  Apply either sparingly. Wipe the standing varnish off after a couple of minuets.  Let the stock dry a day.  Apply finish the same way for several days.  IF you have some buggers or roughness rub them smooth with steel woof or scochbrite moistened with the finish mix.  After several thin applications it will look really good.  IF you wan it it to smell nice and trick your friends put a few drops of linseed on it after is it done and thoroughly dry. 

[Eric Krewson]

I have used Tru-oil for at least 100 bows and quite a few rifles, every now and then I get a bad bottle that stays tacky. I throw away the bad bottle and buy a new one.

[taterbug]

just an update.  turns out was more operator error, and a bit of just about everything most folks mentioned. 

Figured this out when I checked on a base and spout plug that I did at the same time, using same Tru-oil from same bottle.  Those two pieces 'cured' or dried fine within one day, or less.  I didn't check them before that. 

The stock still had plenty of finished area and only a very small area that I had scraped back around the scratches.  That small area cured up fine, but the grain was raised a bit so steel-wooled that back down and applied a second thin coat.

The areas where I 'overlapped' the tru-oil over old tru-oil were what was still tacky.  Did rub those down with some mineral spirits, and applied a much thinner coat of tru-oil.  Should be fine by tomorrow. 

[whetrock]

Normally, Tru-oil over top of dried Tru-oil is no problem at all. Do you think the piece had had a coat of wax applied over top the varnish? If so, then you rubbed that off in the areas you were wanting to repair. In the areas around it, the Tru-oil was sitting atop the wax. That's my guess, anyway.

Glad you got it to work.

[taterbug]

Whetrock, its possible.  Been a looooong time since I messed with this thing. 

I believe I also just tried to put too much TO on, on a piece of wood that was already mostly sealed, and it wasn't going anywhere. 

I did the horn plugs first, they were bare wood and of course soaked up the TO quickly.  The previously finished stock just didn't take it up as fast, and took a while, and extra steps to re-do.  all good now.  I'l probably forget all this by the time I do more finish work.