Just realized a family member's advice turned my chair refinish into a sticky mess

I was almost done with a mid-century chair, applying a slow-dry oil finish in my shop. My cousin stopped by and insisted that using a hair dryer would speed up the curing time. I was tired and let him try it, not thinking much about it. Big mistake, the heat made the finish bubble up and stay tacky for days. Now I have to strip it all off and redo the whole thing, which means extra hours of sanding. It's not just about the time lost, but the wood might have absorbed the finish weird. If someone offers a shortcut, even if they mean well, double-check if it fits with your materials. Trust your own process and don't let rush tips from others mess up your work.

2 comments

2 Comments

hart.reese23h ago

My cousin told me to microwave varnish once.

dakotaknight17h ago

Feel your pain... heat and oil finishes never mix well. Saw @hart.reese's comment about microwaving varnish and it's the same kind of bad idea. That sticky layer is probably uncured oil that got cooked. You'll have to strip it back to bare wood, maybe with a chemical stripper to really get it out of the grain. Sanding might just push the gummy stuff around. Next time, just smile and nod when family gives tips, then go back to following the product directions.