I am wondering if anyone has any suggestions for some problems I am having with tried/true’s oil varnish. After reading the article in FW about this finish I decided to try it on some cherry cabinets I built. In the past I used general finishes brand with excellent results. I followed the directions to the letter, heated the finish, applied as directed, etc. Here are my concerns:
1) after applying three coats after the three weeks of “drying time” the finish is still greasy to the touch.
2) the finish darkened the cherry significantly as well as resulting in splotching. I do not think the splotching is caused by the lumber since it was from the same tree and prepared identical to material I used the general finishes on.
Any suggestions for repairing the above would be greatly appreciated. Has anyone else had this problem with this (tried/true) finish? Thank you in advance, Bill
Replies
I'm glad you wrote this post, because I used the Tried and True Varnish Oil on a table top a few months ago and had the same problem. I applied three coats, and even after a week of sitting in a drying room, the oil was still a bit tacky. I was embarassed to deliver the table. I have since sanded the surface down and refinished it with another product. Now it's great.
I took the manufacturer's advice and spread very thin coats. I used a rubber squeege -- another of the manufacturer's suggestions. Still, the finish wasn't right.
I have another quart of the Tried and True Varnish Oil in my shop, just sitting there. I am thinking about experimenting with it on some scrap wood to figure out the best way to get it to work.
Just wanted to let you know I share your pain!
Edited 4/22/2002 9:47:00 AM ET by Matthew Schenker
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