Drying

[slappy17]

Does anyone have any tips or tricks they use to speed up drying time of a finish...I am trying to get a piece finished today (don't really have to but would like to...lol) And am waiting on the poly to dry....Any sugestions...It is just a frame...would it hurt to pop it in the oven at a low temp for a bit...I have never tried it before but have done it with other hobbies....Thanks

[georgewoodie]

slappy17:

I hope the following is applicable and is of help.

I use a flat oil base varnish, Minwax, Varathane or similar product. I thin my originals stock with a petroleum solvent by 10%, sometimes more.

I then apply a very light coat using a brush or cotton swab. I prefer the cotton as much as possible and always where the pieces are not large.

The use of the cotton leaves just a film finish, no runs or drips. My projects seem to dry quickly although I am never in a hurry and will often leave them over night before a next step. I suspect that the mineral spirit dilution aids in drying by faster evaporation??

For what it is worth, I will do this finishing to parts before assembly after applying tape where glue will be applied. By this first coat or two before assembly, I can wipe away glue squeeze out and not damage the finish.

After assembly,i will sand with 600 wet/dry and apply more varnish.

Woodie

[Lou]

A hair dryer is one choice to get a piece to dry quickly. I've come up with a better solution. The humidity here has been awful and nothing would dry, so someone suggested building a drying box. We made one out of an old stereo cabinet, replacing the shelves with those wire closet shelves. The heat simply comes from a couple of lightbulbs. The temperature only goes up to about 90 (higher watt bulbs would produce more heat), but the humidity gets lowered to 40 or less (lower would be better, but I'll take it). I can't tell you exactly how to do the hookup since my handy Hub did that, but if you Google "drying box," you'll get info. It's the same principle that goes into drying fruits veggies. But if it's just a one-time thing for you, try that hair dryer. Very low oven is probably okay, leaving the door open some, but I have not tried that.

Best of luck to you.

Lou

[Forester21]

I've taken my items into my bathroom - we have a heater fan in there. I'll turn on the heater and close the door. I'm not sure if it changes the humidity, but things seem to dry faster.

[slappy17]

Great ideas thanks you all!

[lucky788scroller]

Just remember, cooking the finish to speed its drying may dry the surface more rapidly, but finish under the skin may not be dry, and may take a long time to thouroughly dry as the surface once dried wont allow it to cure evenly and naturally.Hopefully that wont cause a problem for your project.

[KtownScroller]

Originally Posted by slappy17

Does anyone have any tips or tricks they use to speed up drying time of a finish...I am trying to get a piece finished today (don't really have to but would like to...lol) And am waiting on the poly to dry....Any sugestions...It is just a frame...would it hurt to pop it in the oven at a low temp for a bit...I have never tried it before but have done it with other hobbies....Thanks

Use Minwax Fast-Drying Polyurethane. It's an oil based product and will dry to the touch in 2-4 hours. If you can leave your project in a warm area, humid or not it will dry. I think even in really bad humidity your project will dry within 8 hours. Add beauty and durability to your wood with Oil Based Clear Protective Finishes. Two to four coats looks real nice.