How much air does waterlox need to cure?

[Dan Hanson]

The other thread is getting long so I posted here. I am finishing a project with waterlox in my basement and dont want to stink up the whole house. If I tent an area with plastic and work in there would it cause any problems with curing?
Thanks
Dan

[Greg Cuetara]

Dan,
I would definately not suggest you tent an area like that...unless...you have great air flow / exchanges. Where are you located? Can you wait a few more weeks until it warms up and finish in your garage? Waterlox will stink you out of the house if you don't have enough air exchanges. I finished a crib in my basement this winter and only did really small pieces at a time and very thin coats. I also had windows open and fans running. My wife could still smell it. You will also need some good air exchanges for waterlox to cure properly. The warmer temps and more airflow the quicker each coat will cure. I would be more concerned about the stink rather than the curing with what you proposed. Also remember that waterlox will off gass for some time after you 'finish' the finish. Some good airflow in the area and you shouldn't smell a thing but if you lock it up in a room you will open the room to a big stink.

Greg

[Dan Hanson]

Im in wisconsin, I could do it in the garage, but its attached so itll probably still make it in the house but not as bad. I have an exhaust in there, but I dont want too much airflow to kick up dust. Maybe I could give it a couple hours to firm up a little bit so its not so sticky, then turn on the fan?

[Greg Cuetara]

Dan,
dust is a problem. I would think you might want to give it more than a few hours, maybe 4 or 5, and then turn the exhaust fans on. You don't need to sand between coats so maybe a light dusting before your next coat would be in order if you are concerned.

Are you guys getting warm temps out there yet? We still have a few small snow piles but overall it has been pretty warm and is supposed to get into the high 50's this week. I have a few tables I need to finish but I am waiting for the warmer weather so that i can finish in the garage.

Greg

[Dan Hanson]

Were hoverin in the 50's it will be a while before the joys of spring come around. Im waiting for the end of May for the morels to start poping up:D

[Hank Knight]

Dan,

FWIW, I'm finishing a cherry piece in my basement shop right now and, so far, I've not heard any comments from LOML about the odor.

Hank

P.S.

I started to reply to your original post, but I was late to the party. I'll give you my thoughts anyway, just in case you might find them useful.

The piece I'm finishing is cherry with really outrageous curl. I wanted a durable finish that would highlight the grain. I chose Waterlox. I was worried about the "blotching" you often get with cherry - and by "blotching" I mean random dark spots that show up in cherry - not the highlighting of the grain. Actually, blotching is caused by variations in the way the grain absorbs the finish. To even out the absorption, I started with a wash coat of Zinssner's Seal Coat thinned by half with alcohol. That works out to be about a 1# cut. It soaked into the cherry quickly and dried fast. Then I sanded the entire surface lightly with 320 grit paper using a sanding block before I applied the Waterlox. I used the Original Waterlox sealer finish and wiped on 6 coats with a lint free piece of T shirt. I waited about 12 to 14 hours between coats. My basement shop stays about 68 degrees. It worked great. I got really wonderful definition of the curly grain with a nice medium sheen and no miscellaneous blotching. I didn't use the Waterlox satin because I was afraid it would muddy up the grain.

Here's a photo of a rasied panel door I just finished:

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f343/hankknight/HuntBoard-Doors009.jpg

Good luck with your piece.

Hank

[Neal Clayton]

the satin due to the flattener in it, is thicker than the original too. that's a plus for things like moldings, for instance, when you need to brush on a finish that will level evenly on vertical surfaces, but yes it will obscure a bit more.

if you want a natural finish that doesn't hide the textures of the wood, the original is the way to go.