Rubio monocoat smell and feel

[Aaron Karp]

I recently finished my first tabletop with Rubio Monocoat (pure). It's a white oak desktop, 54x27. Previously I've only used it on toys and small items.

I followed the directions as meticulously as possible, including thoroughly drying every inch with shop towels within 10 minutes of troweling the oil on and buffing it in with a pad. I used only half the accelerator ratio (1:6 vs 1:3) because my can had leaked and that's all I had left of it. It has been curing for 2.5 weeks, which Rubio customer service said should be adequate. It feels dry to the touch, but leaves a very slight oily/waxy reside on my hands if I handle it with more than a light touch. It also still smells faintly like the wet product – not nearly as much as when I first applied the finish, but my recollection of using this on smaller projects, and Osmo on large surfaces, is that the smell dissipated much faster. (Note this is my first time using less than the recommended amount of accelerator.)

Did I mess up the application (and if so can I fix it w/o sanding and reapplying)? Or do I just need to be patient?

[John TenEyck]

What's the temp and RH where you finished the desktop? If the temp is low and/or the RH is high, it would likely help to move it to more favorable conditions, like 70 F and 50% RH.

Did you mess up the application? Well, you didn't follow the directions, so, yeah. Can you fix it w/o sanding/reapplying? Wait another week. If it still stinks and leaves residue on a cloth, you'll have your answer. But before sanding again, I'd wipe it with Naptha, or mineral spirits, or their pre-cleaner a few times to see if that removes and residual that's comes off on a cloth or your hand. You might get lucky.

John

[Aaron Karp]

What's the temp and RH where you finished the desktop? If the temp is low and/or the RH is high, it would likely help to move it to more favorable conditions, like 70 F and 50% RH.

Did you mess up the application? Well, you didn't follow the directions, so, yeah. Can you fix it w/o sanding/reapplying? Wait another week. If it still stinks and leaves residue on a cloth, you'll have your answer. But before sanding again, I'd wipe it with Naptha, or mineral spirits, or their pre-cleaner a few times to see if that removes and residual that's comes off on a cloth or your hand. You might get lucky.

John

I applied it and it cured for those 2.5 weeks in my garage in the northeast, where's it about 55 degrees and 30% RH (indoors). I've (just today) relocated it to my office where it's more like 70 degrees, 25% RH.

[Michael Burnside]

I've never used 1:6 ratio, ever. Rubio is my main, go to product...absolutely love the stuff.

I usually do 1:2 or 1:3 depending on the size of the piece (1:3 for larger pieces). For 1:3, in >55 degrees, it is usually dry to the touch in 24-36 hours and 3 days I cannot smell it. I always advise people to wait 7-10 days before setting anything on top or touching too much. I would not be surprised if it takes 3-4 weeks to cure at 1:6 ratio.

From my experience it is really hard to screw up the application so I don't think it was how you applied it. What you did sounds similar to what I do, sometimes I take longer than 10 minutes to come back and buff it out.

My process:
1- Apply with spreader or brush or sponge
2- GENTLY work it in with a sponge or pad
3- Let it sit in the area for around 10-15 minutes and wipe with a lint-free towel (this usually comes naturally as I work on a piece of furniture)

[Bryan Hall]

If I remember correctly Rubio is 4 weeks to cure without accelerator. Maybe longer since it was in a colder space? I'd expect it to feel sticky if you messed it up, not oily. Sounds like it's just curing slowly, like tung oil.