[PeterAiken22]

I recently finished an oak table top with 3 coats of Waterlox (satin) table looked very glossy and after a week of "curing" I put on some paste wax incorrectly with 0000 steel wool, and scratched the top coat against the grain in multiple spots. I decided to remove the wax with a few applications mineral spirtits and then went with the grain to lightly pick up any additional wax with 0000 steel wool again. I wiped down the table one last time with mineral spirits and blew off any more particles.
To "even" everything out, I applied another coat of Waterlox, but it's drying very u every, and certain spots are very tacky and haven't dried 36 hours later. I would say 70% of the surface area has cured and the rest doesn't appear to be improving, will the tacky spots dry?

 

[Steve Neul]

Waterlox is a tung oil finish and tung oil may be the slowest drying finish you can use. It's not uncommon for tung oil to take a week to dry so 36 hours is nothing. All you can do is keep it someplace where it gets a gently warm breeze if you can and wait. The finish may dry to touch in a week or less but it won't be cured for at least a month.

When you are working tung oil putting multiple coats wait until each coat dries completely. The best way you can tell if a coat is dry is to briskly rub the finish with a clean dry cloth and see if the smell rubs off on the rag. When there is no smell it's ready.

 

[PeterAiken22]

Thanks for the help. I figured out my culprit and it's the bad wax paste application. I didn't get it all off. Have to continue to use the mineral spirits before I can build up with finish again.

 

[Steve Neul]

Thanks for the help. I figured out my culprit and it's the bad wax paste application. I didn't get it all off. Have to continue to use the mineral spirits before I can build up with finish again.

Cleaning wax off you would be better off using a wax and grease remover. It's available at places that sells automotive paint and some auto parts stores that sell paint. The main ingredient in it is naphtha which is available at most lumber companies.