Tried a lttle experiment today.Clear glass container and water.First,I added fibres that are about 3/4 of an inch long,and mixed.The fibres initially dispersed,but,as I watched,they all floated to the surface.Tried the same experiment with Harborite fibres.When I mixed them,they dispersed throughout the water and stayed in suspension.So,despite previous threads by me to the contrary,it seems to me that mixing the fibres in your liquid first makes more sense.Just ensure that you mix them in,don't just dump them,or they do appear to stay in clumps.The glass ones,as I understand it,work the same way. Cheers from here

I see a few problems: > The banister is almost 50 yrs old, made of oak, While your stair treads look like oak, your banister does not. And it looks like some stain, sometime, has blotched. > I removed the finish with denatured alcohol and 0000 steel wool, sanded with 220 grit paper, used a tack cloth to remove dust, Unless the finish was shellac, denatured alcohol will not remove it. DNA might have some effect on lacquer of that vintage. But if the rails were done the same time as the stair treads / floor, it's probably a varnish. Banisters are also a good place to attract body oils from use. That can soften many finishes and putting new finish over soft finish -> soft finish. Body oils also build up that might affect later finishes unless scrupulously cleaned. And if this is your second attempt, what was your first?? >then applied Minwax pre-stain wood conditioner, allowed it to dry for 1 hour, Contrary to directions, it works best if left to dry overnight. But if you have not removed the old finish, it probably didn't do any good, as it was not getting into the raw wood. >then Minwax Wood Finish in Dark Walnut (oil-based wood stain), wiped it 2X, let the banister dry overnight (16 hours), Normally, this is good. A common cause of "sticky" finish is to not wipe off enough of the stain (which happens to be called Wood Finish, another misleading label.) But again, this product is meant to be applied to raw wood, which you may not have and thus just ended up sitting on top of what was there and didn't cure properly. > then applied Formby's Tung Oil Finish Low Gloss (store didn't have Waterlocks), wiped it off, then let dry 18 hours. Yet another lie on the label. This is not Tung Oil. It does not contain tung oil. It is simply a thinned varnish. It's not a terrible finish, you are not getting that mystique of "Hand Rubbed Tung Oil," you're getting wiping varnish. >The banister doesn't feel right in my hand. Formby's says to let the finish dry completely, buff with steel wool and re-apply to build sheen. Will that improve anything? With the situation as described, it's hard to say. One coat of wiping varnish is quite minimal. It's equivalent to about 1/3 a coat of finish. Air movement and adequate temperature are needed for these finishes to cure properly, that they do by absorbing oxygen and polymerizing. >questions: Is this ever going to look and feel right? What should I have done? What can I do now - must I begin again? I would give it a few more days then try some more Formby's. It may not work, but it's worth a try. > The Minwax fumes are killing me - I don't think I can stain with that stuff again. Stain is meant for raw wood. That train has already left. If you didn't get off all the original finish, it didn't even stop at the depot. Worst case scenario: Start over. Strip with a real stripper then get some better product than Minwax / Formby's. Here is a link that might be useful: Tung Oil Finish

Friend of mine and I wore Windsong all during high school. She bought me a bottle a few years ago and it was AWFUL to me now! LOL Don't know if my body chemistry has changed, or my nose is better now! LOL Used to love White Linen. Wore Ralph Lauren's Romance for a long time and now I'm back to wearing Burberry (the original scent). Don't wear a lot of anything - used to teach with a girl that turned me off of all scents for a long time. She bathed in whatever she wore. Isn't it funny how so many memories are tied up with our noses!? LOL

So disappointing when that happens, isn't it? Particularly if you invested fresh $$$ produce (a lot of time, lots of dishes, special occasion, etc.) I used to just look at ratings on some cooking blogs, etc. without reading the comments. A lot of times, commenters just give a five star rating without even making it. That said, I just made not one but TWO (cause I'm smart like that) attempts at a recipe that I'd actually give negative stars for chicken in the Instant Pot. I now have what we call "cottony" chicken (i.e. 185 degrees temp) that I'll be looking to "hide/obscure" in some casserole with a lot of cheese:) CathyinSWPA