Quote Originally Posted by blinddrew View Post
The front is fine, even in the warm weather, it's the satin finish on the rear and sides that just doesn't want to play. I have another project waiting so when I get round to that one I'll be biting the bullet and making it all gloss. Probably go back to tru-oil as well.
If you want a satin finish, there's no reason you can't achieve it with an oil based satin poly. You will likely need to sand the back & sides down to bare timber again, as trying to apply over the existing tacky stuff is just asking for trouble IMO.

I would really encourage you try my 50/50 mix of satin poly and mineral turps (aka white spirit in your country) and wipe it on.
You can also go 60/40 poly/white spirit for the early coats to get a bit quicker build, then go 50/50 on the last few coats for a smoother more flowing consistency.

If you choose Tru Oil for reasons of familiarity and consistent results, you can de-gloss it with wet sanding to have a more satin-like appearance. However it will not give a true satin finish because real satin clear coats contain a small proportion of solids that diffuse light (minimise reflection).