I've got a can that I've used on and off for the past 5 years and even
being open and exposed to air and shut again... it still was perfect.
Maybe I'm dumb, but like all my marine varnishes, I store clear
finishes upside down. Keep your can lips clean, and use a wood block
to get a nice closure... and no leaks.

Still, I've never had a gummy film when I've opened the can and I
always assumed that ordinary lacquer thinner would work in a pinch if
I didn't want to buy the fancy thinner. I do imagine there has to be
some minor discoloration (?) over the years but I don't know because
I've usually used it on teak projects... not light colored woods.


On Wed, 29 Dec 2004 09:05:17 -0800, (Glenna Rose)
wrote:

In the middle of reading the shellac thread, it occurs to me that Deft
might also go bad. Does it? The question is because I have nearly a
gallon left over from my kitchen remodel of the early 80s (remodel is a
layman's term for completely gutting it and building anew!). I made the
cabinets from select white birch and finished them with Deft, absolutely
beautiful! (It broke my heart to leave it all behind, my heart and soul
were in that kitchen I remodeled after 13 years of a 1900 kitchen that
even had the sink in a separate room, like a pantry!)

For Christmas this year, my two older sons each have a set of bookshelves.
The middle son wanted theirs painted so that was easy (also finished and
delivered). The oldest, however, wants his left natural so I plan to
finish them with Deft. I've not even opened the can so am not sure what
condition it's in so this question may be irrelevant anyway, but I'm still
curious. If it appears good, I sure don't want to mess up two 6-foot tall
bookshelves if it does go bad. Twenty years is a long time, after all,
and I *don't* want to do extra sanding to get it off to do it right.

Moving forward with the idea that this is unusable and no longer sold (the
only places I've asked don't have it, but have something else "just like
it"), what would give as good a finished (no pun intended) result as Deft?

Glenna