Igorrock,

Thanks for your response. I was surprised also, at the water-spotting. I thought perhaps I got a bad batch, so tried another tin of it, same results.

After pore filling, to build up the final finish I was hand rubbing Rustins with lint-free fine quality cotton dress shirt material stretched over my index finger. I wore a neoprene glove which has never affected any other finish, the ones I use are fairly resistant to most solvents. I tried other methods but this worked best for me. This finish being very thin, and setting up quickly, the only real option for me was to rub out small amounts in sections until an even, very thin coat is obtained - barely a coat, and it must be accomplished before it tacks too much. In summer in the climate I live in, I can re-coat Rustins every 18-24hrs, once humidity rises I must use a drying cabinet. I found it took 10+ coats to build a nice finish with a very fine skin "on the wood". I can also make comment that the product has poor penetration into the wood - but this is true of most finishes. So really, a fine skin is needed for any realistic protection. The trick is getting a finish that is actually a thin film/skin, but still looks "in the wood". I initially tried a heavier coating method, and got very poor results. For me I found Rustins needed very little finish applied, and had to be rubbed out just right.

It is a very, very nice looking finish, but in my experience a poor performer in rain. Perhaps waxing the stock would prevent this problem, but I want the finish to be able to stand alone. I cannot explain our very different results, except to say it doesn't surprise me. I've noticed different people sometimes get very different results with the same stock finish, and while it ought not to affect a products performance in the rain, I suppose it's possible variation in application technique can do just that.

I've tried a lot of different snake oils, and for me the best have been ones I've developed myself from old recipes. Of the store bought stuff, Minwax has been the best for me, by far - but I haven't tried them all. Easy to apply, easy to get a good finish, film hardness and abrasion resistance superb, finish colour good, except for the matte finish type. Now not available in Oz. I can also relate that Rustins is easier to mark/scratch than any of the Minwax products I've used, but then Rustins is also harder than some others.

I suppose the best plan is for each person to try several products, understand the MSDS, and use what works best for them.