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The sticky areas you're encountering are most likely pine pitch, also known as sap. This substance has a distinctive sweet, pine-like odor that is easily recognizable. Unfortunately, there is no foolproof method to prevent the pitch from seeping through the paint over time.

Cleaning and Preparation

Before painting, it's crucial to clean the affected areas thoroughly. You have several options for this:

Pine is full of pitch (rosin or tar) and stain alone will never adhere to these areas. The knots are so dense and hard there is no grain to hold the stain in place

To fix, sand the table lightly with 120-grit sandpaper and restain the table. To improve adherence of the stain, mix 2 parts Gel Stain with one part Gel Satin Topcoat. Apply as many coats of the mix as needed to obtain the desired color, allowing 24-hour dry time between coats.