Finish acceleration

[Harvey M. Taylor]

It is awfully damp here in Ft. Worth from recent rains. Anyone tried using the microwave for speeding up the drying process on your multicoated finishes? Otherwise it may take a month to get it dry. Thanky for anyone having experience in this. Max

[jason lambert]

Be careful a microwave tends to heat from the inside out and will bring moisture up usally what you don't want for a finish. I am not sure what you are doing but a oven is usally better.

[Dick Sowa]

I use two methods to speed drying on some of my bowls.

The first is to set it next to a shop window, or if it is breezy outside, place it in the sun outside. The heat from the sun does a great job. Only issue is for those woods that change color with sun exposure (box elder, cherry, etc).

The second is to use a goose neck incandescent lamp, and away from the sun. Those produce quite a bit of heat. Even a regular heat or spot light would work too.

[Prashun Patel]

I wouldn't use a microwave or any rapid heating. The solvent of a coat needs adequate time to get out of the finish before the finish starts to harden. Otherwise, you risk cracking or bubbles when the solvent DOES - and it will - make it's way out eventually.

I do a lot of 'finish curing' in my basement and I've had good luck using a space heater and a dehumidifier.

[Harvey M. Taylor]

Thanks Jason, Dick and Shawn, I would never have thought of those consequences, Max

[Bernie Weishapl]

I use a couple of incandesent lamps just above the piece high enough it doesn't get it hot. Works great.

[Paul Engle]

I usully crank up the heat in the shop and do all my finishing at one shot so to speak ( use hand wipe poly urthane and Tung blended oil formbys version), during the winter is not so bad with the humidity down but summer can be tought sometimes. Try a finish cut 50/50 with thinner ( no lacquer unless you use lacquer thinner specificaly) and put on more coats each coat will " go off " or set up quicker , resand after 4-6 hrs and reapply til you get the thickness you want.

[Tom Peters]

Wonder how a food dehydrator (one with heat and fan) would work. Or would that dry things too quickly?

[Jeff Nicol]

Max, In a pinch I have used a hair blow dryer or my heat gun to speed up the drying time. Just make sure you don't point it in one spot to long
or to close it might get to hot in one spot and bubble. I have a lazy susan that I put things on and keep the piece turning so that won't happen.

Good luck,

Jeff

[Thomas Canfield]

There have been posts about using a old dishwasher, refrigerator, or freezer shell with incadacent lamp for heat. The dishwasher has some vent holes that would need to be added to the other cases. There is also the issue about child safety, but the added vent holes should take care of that. I know that a lot of turners in Hawaii use them due to the high humidity the majority of the time.

[Wally Dickerman]

Most finishes are formulated to dry best at 70 deg. When my shop is either too hot or too cold I take newly finished turnings into the house to dry.

IMO putting a piece with a new finish on it in a microwave would be asking for trouble.

Wally

[Ken George]

We have an enclosed space for our heating system that operates year round as it also heats our hot water. I use this space for all of my projects. It is always warm but not too. Works well.