Stumped

[Shedhand]

Hi all those varnish experts. I need some advice. I have finished a letterbox (King Billy Pine with a Celery Top Pine lid. I have put a coat of Spar (Marine) Varnish on the lid and its been almost 72 hours since i did it. Still tacky to touch. I followed the manufacturers (FW) directions to the letter. Can someone advise how to get the stuff to dry quicker?
Cheers:confused:

[Ashore]

Try some extra heat put in a room with a heater on , Beware of fires though so not too small a room
And not in direct sun



Rgds

[Shedhand]

Thanx Ashore, I'll give it a go though its about 25deg in the shed most days. Humidity is around 75% at the moment. :confused:

[Ashore]

The humidity might be a problem , maybe try inside, spar bedroom perhaps

[Shedhand]

The humidity might be a problem , maybe try inside, spar bedroom perhaps

I've dug out a 250w halogen lamp and sat it 12" from the box. I'll cook each side for a few hours. Hopefully that'll fix it.
Cheers

[Auld Bassoon]

Thanx Ashore, I'll give it a go though its about 25deg in the shed most days. Humidity is around 75% at the moment. :confused:

G'day Shedhand;

Generally Spar varnish should have gone off (touch dry) with 24 hours, and fully cured within 72. High humidity will be an issue, and may even lead to clouding.

BTW: I remember many a time back in Jersey varnishing the brightwork on my boat, generally when still on its moorings. The weather would be perfect, then, within minutes (it always seemed ) of finishing, the wind would pick up and I'd get a "nice" layer of sand, seagull shi! and gawd knows what land on the boat. :mad: This frequently led to a sojurn to the Dolphin Hotel for a restorative. Or six

Cheers!

BTW: don't over do it with the lamp (your following post), as you wouldn't want to get any gas bubbles forming under the surface...

[Shedhand]

Jersey?? As in Channel Isles Jersey?? Wet and windy all the time there isn't it?:eek:
Can I use Terribine to speed the drying peocess? Do I mix it in the varnish tin and if I do that will the varnish keep?
Cjheers

[durwood]

How old is the varnish? if its an old tin (had the skin removed several times) the drying agent may be all but gone and therefore it won't ever dry or be serviceable.

If you try to put more on even new stuff over the top it won't be a very successfull finish.

If was me I would wash it off with turps and use something else or stir the varnish really well and try on a test piece of timber before redoing.

As mentined by Steve keep the heat away from it, by all means use heat to warm the air but keep it far enough away from the timber so you don't heat it up.

You will heat the air in the grain of the timber and get blisters in the finish.

You might like to try and wet the varnish with a bit of water before you get rid of it if you decide to do so the water should help set it and stop the sticky feel. Maybe even solve your problem completely if the end result is all you expect from the varnish finish. The old varnishes were actually wet down in the old days to help drying, but your varnish may be in name only and may be a different resin.

[Shedhand]

How old is the varnish? if its an old tin (had the skin removed several times) the drying agent may be all but gone and therefore it won't ever dry or be serviceable.

If you try to put more on even new stuff over the top it won't be a very successfull finish.

If was me I would wash it off with turps and use something else or stir the varnish really well and try on a test piece of timber before redoing.

As mentined by Steve keep the heat away from it, by all means use heat to warm the air but keep it far enough away from the timber so you don't heat it up.

You will heat the air in the grain of the timber and get blisters in the finish.

You might like to try and wet the varnish with a bit of water before you get rid of it if you decide to do so the water should help set it and stop the sticky feel. Maybe even solve your problem completely if the end result is all you expect from the varnish finish. The old varnishes were actually wet down in the old days to help drying, but your varnish may be in name only and may be a different resin.

I guess it is new stuff. I got it from the local 3D Paint Store which is only 5 minutes away from the local yacht club abd slipway. So I imagine the stock would turn over fairly regularly. The box was raw timber sanded with 240 -600 sandpaper. Its starting to lose it's tacky feel now though I got rid of the halogen lamp in case it caused blistering.
If I go with the water suggestion, how do I apply it? And how much water do I use?:confused:
Thanx for your help so far.
Cheers

[Auld Bassoon]

Jersey?? As in Channel Isles Jersey?? Wet and windy all the time there isn't it?:eek:
Can I use Terribine to speed the drying peocess? Do I mix it in the varnish tin and if I do that will the varnish keep?
Cjheers

Yes Jersey C.I. - actually it's fairly mediterranean in climate (you know, Bougainvilliea, Palm trees, and whatnot) due to the Gulf Stream. Only blowy and wet in March/April and Oct/Nov....

[Shedhand]

Yes Jersey C.I. - actually it's fairly mediterranean in climate (you know, Bougainvilliea, Palm trees, and whatnot) due to the Gulf Stream. Only blowy and wet in March/April and Oct/Nov....

Really? Bit like Bellerive, Tasmania then...