"harryagain" wrote in
:

Some of the stuff you mention is intended to soak into timber. If it
can't soak in, it won'tdry.

That explains the problem. I initially applied some acrylic spray laquer,
which I ran out of, and then applied the Antique oil, thinking "Well, it's
just a kind of thin varnish, so why not?"

You live and learn! I will start again from scratch.

Thanks also to Andy for the Tung oil suggestion.

Al