i was retouching my pen collection and when i picked up a sycamore wood pen that i had finished with pens plus i noticed that it felt sticky to the touch. I had the same issue with a pen made from chestnut wood. I don't know if this is because of the intense greek summer heat (~100F) or because of some mistake i did. I finish my pens with Dr's walnut oil while sanding to 3000 grit and then coat the wood with a few layers of Pens plus. I wait until the next day for the oils to cure and then i assemble the pen.
Has anyone encountered something similar?I find it odd beacuse these are not oily woods and i thought that they would absorb the finish well. Any input is welcome, cheers.
One thought I did have recently myself...as, I did not have a good year last year, and barely turned anything all year... I bought my Pens Plus end of summer or so in 2021. At this point, given the size of the bottle, its barely half gone... Its got shellac in it. I've definitely had problems with friction polishes, either those I've made myself (i.e. shine juice), or bought (i.e. mylands) after about a year and a half or so. The only good reason I could ever find, was that the shellac doesn't last forever, being an organic substance.
I don't know if the synthetic wax in Pens Plus might help stave off that degredation in the shellac...but, it just hit me the other day that, maybe my own Pens Plus, might be reaching a point where the shellac can no longer do its job right? If so, it would kind of be a bummer...I've got half a bottle of a $22 finish left. I am really hoping to get back into the groove this year, and make as many pens as I can each week. Hopefully I'll be able to polish off (hah!) the rest of this finish within the next month or so here...
Anyway...that thought hit me like a brick a day or two ago...