I had some tru-oil that was over a year old. Maybe 2 years old I dunno, can'r remember when I bought it. Looked alright, smelled alright. So I stirred it up with a popsickle stick and put a coat on one of the mesquite neck knife handles that I made. 6 HOURS LATER it's still tacky.    :confused:  

Tru-oil normally dries in under 1/2 hour. Think this stuff is bad and what do I do now..just wait and hope it dries?  

I use to use tru-oil and tung oil, sometimes due to the humid weather we are having it would take days before i could 0000 steel wool a project, now i use Howard's feed and wax ( 6 bucks a bottle from Home Depot)......with Howard's You never get the tacky feeling again    
http://www.howardproducts.com/feednwax.htm

Hi Mickey.

I've had the same thing happen. In my case it eventually dried, but if I remember correctly, I sanded most of it off before putting on another coat from a new bottle. I think it was almost 2 years old at the time and had been in the garage with extreme temperature fluctuations.

I enjoyed your Cloverdale pics. I sure do miss getting together w/everyone.

Darren

I know you (of all folks) wouldn;'t apply it too thick I've used some pretty old Tru-oil before (many times) and only problem I ever had was if it "Skimmed" over on the top - even then I pulled that skin off and used the rest sometimes. Is it possible that Mesquite wood is still oily - that is an oily or resiny wood as I recall)? In any case I've found when any finish/paint doesn't dry in regular time it usually (at the best) just gets gummy. Think I would strip it somehow, if it isn't dry yet.

Tru Oil is basically Linseed oil with (I believe) alcohol in it for a drying accelerator..
I am guessing the alcohol evaporated out.. That along with the humidity etc.

Me too. I think the volitals that speed drying get lost. Also had it not dry ever on oily woods like Cocabola. New bottle if was slow drying and seal oily woods with superglue.

Hey Darren, yea we miss you and the boys too. You going to make it to Mojam this year?

Yea Bern this wa skimmed over, I busted through it and stirred it up. It sloshed when I shook it so figured it was still liquid under the skimmed part.Never thought about the drying agent evaporating. Learn something every day.

I've had liquid hide glue from a bottle that wouldn't dry if it was too old. Never had a problem with tru-oil though. I'll let it sit while I'm on the road today. If it's still tacky whenI get home, guess I'll take some acetone to it. Daggone it. It's slowing me down ha ha

BTW Bern done watching the tapes, I'll get them boxed up and shipped back to ya beginning of the week.Thanks bud!

W. Tim do you use that Howards on bows? Doesn't say anything about moisture protection. Do you really have to put it on once a month?

I do buy the Tru-oil in small bottles (I don't use as much as you, guys I'm sure) and always wipe the bejabbers out of the mouth and lid before screwing cap on real tight. AND I still wind up throwing some away sometimes (after I have to break the skin - and use it once - if I don't want to go to the store right then) just to be safe. Like you, Mickey, I don't want it slowing me down - LOL. No sweat on the tapes, buddy. I'll let you know when they get here.

The next time add a few clean nuts, screws or small pebbles to the bottle to raise the level of your liquid before resealing. This will give you a longer shelf life. It helps if you refrigerate the product as well.

Mickey, sent you an email.

Oooo - that makes sense, Matt. I know Fromby used to suggest squeezing the bottle of his Tung Oil (to do the same thing) before capping, but the little Tru-oil bottle doesn't sqeeze well at all. I'm gonna try the nut or pebble thing. Less air in bottle, less drying of product - sho nuff!

When using Tru Oil you need to store the bottle upside down so it will skim at the BOTTOM of the bottle and you will never have a skimming problem and no need to stir.

 

No Ron...that is too simple. LOL

Darren...email has not come in.

I have used a lot of Tru-Oil over the years and every now and then I would get a bad bottle and an application wouldn't dry in less than 24 hrs. The local wally world quit carrying the stuff so I have switched to spar urathane.

I hear that from a lot of folks, Eric, on the Spar Urethane but our Wally world still carries the small bottle of Tru-oil in the Gun gear area.

How about it, Mickey, - nobody likes somebody coming up with an "obvious" answer that we didn't think of, Ron!!!   :D

Been refinishing Gun Stocks for a long time Bernie, Just one of the tricks of the trade.      

I have been waiting 30 hrs for the first coat of true oil to dry on my new dryad bow. how can I take that stuff off and spray it with spar? will I need to go over the cocobola again with CA glue?

thanks

kirk

Mickey, the only time I've had trouble with Tru-Oil staying tacky was either when the R/H was high or on certain oily woods. Usually when it is old it will skim over or be lumpy. When it gets lumpy I throw it away. If the R/H is high, give it a day or so to dry. I have even used steel wool on some that stayed tacky and added more over it with good results. Usually once you get the initial coat on the rest will dry like it normally would.   Pat

This post explains why mine has been taking 24 hrs to dry on some cane arrows. It was lumpy also. Time to get new.