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Showerthought: That can of finish I bought three years ago just ruined a table

I had a partial can of a popular oil-based polyurethane sitting on my shelf in the garage since a job in Tacoma back in 2021. Last week, I used it on a nice maple table top. It went on cloudy and never fully cured, leaving a sticky, gummy mess. The shelf life on these products is real, and I should have tossed it. Has anyone else had a finish fail from age, and how do you mark your cans?
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2 Comments
the_piper
the_piper24d ago
Ever think those dates were just a suggestion? I used to ignore them, but a ruined oak floor last year proved me wrong. Now I write the open date on the lid with a paint pen.
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james279
james27924d ago
Wait, it was from 2021 and you still tried it? You're braver than me.
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