Neatlac Drying Issue

[MM2CVS9]

Used to do quite a bit of leather work 30-40 years ago. Much of the materials I used to use seem to be harder to get. Found many of them at Springfield.

I have 3 quart cans of Neatlac (Tandy) that have been around for a while. It was my favorite finish. All three cans had been opened. Using them recently, the finish does not seem to dry thoroughly and remains slightly tacky. Tried thinning it slightly with laquer thinner with no improvement. Anyone else have this happen and is there a fix or should I just throw it out and start anew. In the meantime I used Fiebings aerosol laquer finish with great, although expensive, results.

Had a few old quarts of Tandy medium brown antique too, which doesn't seem to work like it used to either. Acts more like a stain than an antiquing medium. Maybe that's gone bad too. What would you recommend as a replacement?

EJ

Edited July 19, 2015 by MM2CVS9

[King's X]

Just a couple of questions? Did you shake the cans before using? Also, if the cans were stored and may have been frozen that may have caused some issues. If they are gone...what a loss.......that stuff is liquid gold.

[Oldtoolsniper]

Most solvent based products are not harmed by freezing temprautres as they will not freeze. I have 80 year old cans of varnish I still use on wood. I buy it whenever I can find it. I store it in a shed that has no heat so when it's -20 here in Iowa it's -18 or so in that shed, my lacquer and varnish are fine after many freeze thaw cycles.

Water based turns to cottage cheese when it looks cold out.

I see you are in Michigan. Here in Iowa the humidity has been incredible the last week or so, to the point my laundry won't dry on the line. It does the same for finish. It has to evaporate in order to dry. Leather will also take on the humidity so you have to contend with that too. I would not toss it just yet. Take some and place it on a piece of glass and see if it will dry. The glass has no moisture in in to effect the drying of the lacquer.

Edited July 19, 2015 by Oldtoolsniper

[MM2CVS9]

Very humid here too. I'll try the glass test. Thanks.

EJ

[Oldtoolsniper]

By the way that's the test for any finish you are not sure of. Orange shellac is notorious for going bad it's really bug poo and that's why most users of it keep it in flake form until use and test it on glass or tin prior to use on the final project. Alcohol draws moisture from the air that's why in our region where it gets extremely cold it's used to dry brake lines in the winter. It's also why ethanol is an engine repair mans dream come true for keeping busy repairing engines. Most engines fail when you add water to the fuel.