Wandered down to the shop this morning to see HOW the finish was drying........it...wasn't.     Still goooo-eee, yuck.   Most of it had also "crazed"  and a few bubbles were seen.    Very sticky to the touch.   Grrrrrrr.

 

Got out the toys to scrape the mess off.   I now have a spokeshave that won't talk to me ever again.....needs a soak in thinner..

 

Used the 80 grit with the Megga-Mouse to peel things done to bare wood.    And correct a few spots.    Fresh battery used enough to die in place.     100 grit on the palmsander.....full sheet was used up.  Paint brush to wipe away the junk.  Brought  theUGLY looking thing upstairs, and let it air out awhile.  

 

Decided to see IF the problem was with the 50/50 mix of BLO and Varnish (poly)  I was using.    Have a level I just re-found, the wood is Cherry.    Sanded it smooth, and added a coat of just plain BLO  and let it sit awhile.    Went to Wallie World with the Boss, and bought a rattle can of  Clear gloss WATCO spray lacquer.    Will test on the level first.    IF it works, then a fresh coat of plain BLO will go onto the box.....then the rattle can after the smell goes away. 

 

Never had one that crazed up that bad, and still was gooey.....might just go and throw that jar of mix out the door....

Doesn't sound like a fun day. I love woodworking but HATE finishing. I feel your pain. I like Stick's idea, sub it out!

I sometimes think that the less you know about finishes, the better off you are.  It's when you know what you're doing, that is when things seem to go wrong. I used to go to the store to buy a can of something and somehow it always came out OK.. Now I'm worried about the finish every time.

Well that sux!

Testing in progress........smell was gone from the level......waiting on the spray coat to dry now.....will see how it turns out.

 

IF it works out, I'll put a coat of BLO on the box, and wait again til the smell goes away.   Then spray it.   

 

No woodworking until after the finishes are done.    And the knee stops hurting. 

Went stumbling down to check on the lacquer results.....so far, so good.   I sprayed the Stanley level, at least I thought i got it all...

Between the  BLO and the Lacquer, this Cherry turned nice and dark.   Didn't seem to bother the Beech handle, though

But it turned some old Rosewood almost black..

But, there wasn't any "crazed" surface, and hardly any bubbles.  Will check again in the morning and  might be able to re-do the Cherry Box.   

What is with that blue line under these words, and why are they blue as well?

your problem came from applying too thick of a coat of the blend. BLO takes weeks to dry on it's own. your mix should've contained 1/3 mineral spirits this thins the BLO allowing it to dry faster. also this blend is a very low build finish so don't just brush it on like a varnish. it's better to flood the surface keeping it wet for 20 minutes or so then wipe off any remaining mixture. repeat this the next couple of days for a low build finish. If you desire a thicker film let it cure for 3-5 days then it can be top-coated with plain poly.

I agree that adding some MS to the mixture would e an improvement, but sometimes varnish will age to the point where drying/curing  becomes a much longer process. That might have been the cause of the problem. But usually with BLO I'll wait to topcoat for a day or so, most solvent finishes will be OK that way. But not with anything waterborne, then I'd wait a week or more. I can only imagine why the spokeshave isn't speaking to you...that is a mess to deal with.

Edited November 26, 20169 yr by Fred W. Hargis, Jr

sub finishing out...

'Way back in high school, our shop teacher mixed BLO with laquer thinner. He said it speeded up drying and increased penetration. Apparently it's a long-lasting finish, since the two walnut coffee tables I made still carry the original to this day! (50 years!)

John

P.s.  Treat the rags used to apply it with caution. Spontaneous combustion is a real possibility!

Edited November 26, 20169 yr by HARO50

16 hours ago, steven newman said:

Never had one that crazed up that bad, and still was gooey.....might just go and throw that jar of mix out the door....

 

 

Is this home brew?

 

Just as a thought?  Have you ever experimented with Japan Dryer?

Home brew of just BLO and Poly Varnish......Still from the first time I tried it.    Going back to using them separately instead.   Have a coat on the box right now,  and after a certain Football Game is over.....I will stagger back down to check it out.     May just wipe it down and get the Rattle can ready.