So, I bought a small regency drum table what had the remains of a terrible finish on it expecting it to be an easy project. Having refinished many pieces before, I was expecting maybe a week to get it in place. I stripped the whole piece down, gave it another once over, made sure all the stripper was off and then applied a coat of Polyurethane. After a month, it was still tacky and with much aggravation I stripped the piece again, gave it a light sand, wiped it down with mineral spirits, wiped it with a dry cloth, repeated the mineral spirits and wiping and then applied a new coat of finish from a new can of Minwax using a new brush. Seven weeks later, it's still tacky.
I have never had this happen before. I did it by the book (as far as I can tell) using an extremely thing coat. I have had a fan blowing on it the entire 7 weeks. It just stopped drying after a day.
Anything y'all can offer would be much appreciated. I'm running out of patience with it though haha.
Having trouble with a finish that will not dry...
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Victorian Furniture thread on victorianforum.com · started March 10, 2011 by Marc Andrew · 5 posts · discussion in 2011.
So, I bought a small regency drum table what had the remains of a terrible finish on it expecting it to be an easy project. Having refinished many pieces before, I was expecting maybe a week to get it in place. I stripped the whole piece down, gave it another once over, made…
I don't have a solution, Marc, but it certainly seems like an odd problem. ???
Check your finish first. You might want to contact the manufacturer and have the date code(s) from the can(s) ready to give them and ask them how old it is. All manufactures date their finishes, but it is generally in code - letters and or numbers that wont make sense to you unless you know their coding system (IE: A = January then the year, sometimes which plant it was made in, etc. Sometimes they skip a letter like I because it can look like a 1, etc. It's not easy to guess their code system.).
Old finish doesn't always dry well. A rule of thumb if you have old paint, finish, etc. is to brush out a little on scrap before using it on your finished product and see how long it takes to fully dry. Write down the time you applied it and keep track. The can should tell you what the normal drying time should be. It will take longer in lower (colder) temperatures, or higher humidity (or damp environments like a damp basement), it should dry faster in hot or dry environments (like a wood stove or near a heat source). Check on it to see if it dries fine in the normal expected drying time. If it does - then the problem is not your finish - period. There must be another problem like oily wood, trace amounts of stripper left behind (which can have a big impact on finishes drying), or something else with the wood or preparation, etc. If it takes way longer then it should - throw it out (no matter how much is left in the can. It's DEFINITELY not worth trying to save and use old finish that doesn't dry. It will only give you grief and problems every time you use it) and buy FRESH finish (not just new to you) - from a supplier that sells a lot of it and will have fresh finish - or ask the manufacturer how read the date code so you can tell when it was made looking at a can in the store. If you buy it in a small hardware store that doesn't sell a lot of it - it could be quite old. How long did the supplier stock it before the store bought it? They have to buy case lots - if they don't sell a lot it could take them months or even years to sell a case of finish. It could be old - even if you bought it recently.
If the finish dries fine and is ok - strip the piece again. Wipe it with denatured alcohol a couple of times after stripping to clean the surface and remove any stripper left behind. Let it dry well and put a sealer coat on of FRESH shellac. It must be fresh - old shellac will have problems drying and not dry well. Most stores sell Zinser/ Bullseye brand shellac - said to last for at least 3 years. I don't trust shellac that is 3 years old. If your shellac is more than 1 year old - test it first. Many/ most restorers and refinishers make their own shellac from dry shellac flakes and denatured alcohol to insure that it is as fresh as possible. Shellac dries fast and hard - it does not fisheye (a problem caused from silicone contamination like furniture polishes, it will dry on oily woods and many other problem surfaces and is compatible with virtually every other finish - laquers, polyurethanes, varnishes, oil based, water based finishes, etc. It will effectively seal in most surface problems. Then sand it lightly with 220 grit paper - next I like to use a green Scothbrite (nylon synthetic steel wool), and then apply the finish of your choice. It should go fine. Good luck. Let us know how you make out. woodwright
Old finish doesn't always dry well. A rule of thumb if you have old paint, finish, etc. is to brush out a little on scrap before using it on your finished product and see how long it takes to fully dry. Write down the time you applied it and keep track. The can should tell you what the normal drying time should be. It will take longer in lower (colder) temperatures, or higher humidity (or damp environments like a damp basement), it should dry faster in hot or dry environments (like a wood stove or near a heat source). Check on it to see if it dries fine in the normal expected drying time. If it does - then the problem is not your finish - period. There must be another problem like oily wood, trace amounts of stripper left behind (which can have a big impact on finishes drying), or something else with the wood or preparation, etc. If it takes way longer then it should - throw it out (no matter how much is left in the can. It's DEFINITELY not worth trying to save and use old finish that doesn't dry. It will only give you grief and problems every time you use it) and buy FRESH finish (not just new to you) - from a supplier that sells a lot of it and will have fresh finish - or ask the manufacturer how read the date code so you can tell when it was made looking at a can in the store. If you buy it in a small hardware store that doesn't sell a lot of it - it could be quite old. How long did the supplier stock it before the store bought it? They have to buy case lots - if they don't sell a lot it could take them months or even years to sell a case of finish. It could be old - even if you bought it recently.
If the finish dries fine and is ok - strip the piece again. Wipe it with denatured alcohol a couple of times after stripping to clean the surface and remove any stripper left behind. Let it dry well and put a sealer coat on of FRESH shellac. It must be fresh - old shellac will have problems drying and not dry well. Most stores sell Zinser/ Bullseye brand shellac - said to last for at least 3 years. I don't trust shellac that is 3 years old. If your shellac is more than 1 year old - test it first. Many/ most restorers and refinishers make their own shellac from dry shellac flakes and denatured alcohol to insure that it is as fresh as possible. Shellac dries fast and hard - it does not fisheye (a problem caused from silicone contamination like furniture polishes, it will dry on oily woods and many other problem surfaces and is compatible with virtually every other finish - laquers, polyurethanes, varnishes, oil based, water based finishes, etc. It will effectively seal in most surface problems. Then sand it lightly with 220 grit paper - next I like to use a green Scothbrite (nylon synthetic steel wool), and then apply the finish of your choice. It should go fine. Good luck. Let us know how you make out. woodwright
Generally agrees with woodwright, if you seal your piece with shellac first, you should avoid whatever is causing your top coat not to dry.
woodwright has it
why are you using poly??? absolute junk finish
ps-new minwax stain has proven to be an issue as well, stain taking over a day to dry properly, finish won't go over it and dry
why are you using poly??? absolute junk finish
ps-new minwax stain has proven to be an issue as well, stain taking over a day to dry properly, finish won't go over it and dry