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2K views 16 replies 12 participants last post by  Kentuk55 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Being retired and on fixed income I find myself deciding that finishing a project is sometimes more along the lines of what I have, not what I want, to finish a project with.

As a result I have on occasion used a finish that, although appropriate for the job, was beyond it's apparent shelf life….
like the bowl in pine that I used polyurethane on…poly that I dug out from under a 1/4 crust on the top of the container and had to mix 50/50 with paint thinner to un-gel.
Or the tung oil that took 10 seconds to start pouring out of the can I found in the back of the bottom drawer of the finish cabinet.

So with that in mind I'm curious how many of you have found yourselves in a similar predicament.

So here's a thread to confess your finishing sins, or experiments that failed (or succeeded) in finishing.

btw…both the above projects finished well.
 
#2 ·
I've used many finishes beyond their shelf life ,it's always been on projects for my self. Some of them that seem to hold up well have been, oil base gel stain, wiping stain and even some water base clear finish.
 
#4 ·
Finishes have a shelf life? :)

I've used plenty of paints and finishes that should not have been usable. If I can smell the solvent, then I know it hasn't all evaporated, and the finish should dry okay. If I have to strain debris after breaking a 1/4" thick skin off the top, then that's what I do.

Mind you, this is only for my own personal projects. If I do something for a client, they are paying for the finish, so I would never use anything that might be questionable. As for my own projects, if I suspect a finish might have gone south, I may or may not test it first.
 
#5 · (Edited by Moderator)
I generally avoid finishes that go south, once opened. The worst in my experience is Waterlox, which I now never use, followed by oil poly. If I gotta use oil poly, I just consider whatever's left in the can is lost, or extend its shelf life by sticking the leftover in the freezer. I stay with waterbornes, raw tung oil, and solvent lacquer, as I've never had an issue with them.
 
#6 · (Edited by Moderator)
I'm not in the fixed income situation, but I can promise you that I think a twice each time I buy a gallon of something like the GF Endurovar. Everything adds up, and having a finishing closet filled with everything we'd LIKE to have of products with shelf-lifes…well, my calculator would start to show an extra digit or two that I'd find somewhat shocking!
 
#7 ·
I always store finishes upside down in their container so the good stuff is at the top when i open it. I also have sealed the containers in plastic bags to further extend their life. It would not be a bad idea to test some of the old finish on a scrap piece of wood to eliminate or confirm any doubts.
 
#8 ·
One thing I do is every time I close a can of paint or finish is turn it upside down for a moment, to help assure a good seal around the lid. I don't know if it helps, but it doesn't hurt so why not.
 
#9 ·
A lot of folks actually store their opened and then closed cans of finish upside down. This keeps the air pocket on the bottom, and any skin that forms is there as well. I haven't tried it (yet)but will some day. So far, I've went through great pains to make sure my finish is always good, the older stuff gets disposed of properly. I can't see taking something that may have several hundred dollars worth of lumber and hours of my time and then risk saving $20 on a can of varnish (or whatever).
 
#10 · (Edited by Moderator)
Some finishes will oxidise and turn to jelly in the tin no matter what you do. Ripping off a piece of cling film and putting that on top of the finish in the tin will help stop it going crusty.
I have an issue with Becker Acroma white waterborne enamel. The last tin I had (5L) cost about $80. First time I used it it was great, sealed it up, went back to it months later, couldn't open the tin, rusted together. Got it open, loads of crap fallen into it, the rubber seal on the tin perished and fell into it too. Strained it, used it, put it away, went to use it again, the dye in the rubber seal had bled out of it, giving the rest of the paint a pink blush.
Had to bin it. Lesson learnt.
 
#11 ·
I'm glad I got the courage up to post this question.
I'm definitely going to try the upside-down idea.

To all, If I was spending any money on wood, or if it is a commissioned piece, I always get the good finish out.
But most of my work is in re-purposed/salvaged/or otherwise free wood, so the bad finish costs me no more than the time I put into the piece…experience points at the least…and at the best, an editor's choice award.
 
#12 ·
@Pete - The problem with a bad finish is that you might not know it's bad until a year from now. I used some old Spar Varnish on a rebuilt and refinished park bench last year. In three months the varnish was flaking off. I'll likely choose a marine varnish next time instead, but that spar varnish should have held out longer than that.
 
#15 ·
Pete, I use Bloxygen for left over finishes. It seems to extend the life of most oil based finishes. I buy pure tung oil by the gallon and it will start to crystallize within about a month without the Bloxygen. I have a gallon that's almost a year old and it looks and works like it did when I bought it.
 
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