Arm r seal dry times

[Brian Runau]

Basement shop and I use 3 coats, 24hrs between and no problems..done this for years, their instructions say 72 hrs between coats or you will get a cloudy finish. Never had this problem. A little confused by their instructions. Brian

[John TenEyck]

Well, that's not exactly what the said:

Dry Time Between Coats
Dry 12-24+ hours between coats when applying over raw or newly stained raw wood, and dry up 72+ hours between coats when working over a sealed surface. Dry times based on ideal conditions: 70°F/21°C; 50% humidity. The more layers of finish there are on a project, the longer it takes to dry. Do NOT rush the dry times!

Inadequate dry time can trap moisture & cause clouding.

You can tell if an oil-based finish is dry if it is no longer tacky, cool to the touch, and if you can press a cotton ball over the surface and nothing sticks. If in doubt, wait longer.

There was a guy on another forum who advocated applying the next coat when the prior one passed the pinky test, when you lightly press your pinky finger on the finish and it no longer sticks or leaves an imprint. That is a very soft finish, not what you would call dry. I've used that approach several times when I intended to rub out the finish because each coat melts into the one below, so there's no risk of witness lines when you rub it out. It's never gone cloudy.

I'm sure GF knows what they are talking about but, like you, I've never had it go cloudy. My shop usually is pretty close to their ideal conditions, though, so that may have helped.

If you're happy with the process you're using, stick with it.

John

[Brian Runau]

Well, that's not exactly what the said:

Dry Time Between Coats
Dry 12-24+ hours between coats when applying over raw or newly stained raw wood, and dry up 72+ hours between coats when working over a sealed surface. Dry times based on ideal conditions: 70°F/21°C; 50% humidity. The more layers of finish there are on a project, the longer it takes to dry. Do NOT rush the dry times!

Inadequate dry time can trap moisture & cause clouding.

You can tell if an oil-based finish is dry if it is no longer tacky, cool to the touch, and if you can press a cotton ball over the surface and nothing sticks. If in doubt, wait longer.

There was a guy on another forum who advocated applying the next coat when the prior one passed the pinky test, when you lightly press your pinky finger on the finish and it no longer sticks or leaves an imprint. That is a very soft finish, not what you would call dry. I've used that approach several times when I intended to rub out the finish because each coat melts into the one below, so there's no risk of witness lines when you rub it out. It's never gone cloudy.

I'm sure GF knows what they are talking about but, like you, I've never had it go cloudy. My shop usually is pretty close to their ideal conditions, though, so that may have helped.

If you're happy with the process you're using, stick with it.

John

I read their site before posting. What does 72 hrs between coats mean? I read this to mean 72 hrs between 1st and 2nd then 2nd and 3rd coats since the first coat seals the wood.. Brian

[John TenEyck]

I read their site before posting. What does 72 hrs between coats mean? I read this to mean 72 hrs between 1st and 2nd then 2nd and 3rd coats since the first coat seals the wood.. Brian

Brian, it doesn't say 72 hours, it says UP TO 72 hours when applied over a sealed surface. The first sentence says the dry time is 12 - 24 hours over raw wood.

John

[Brian Runau]

Brian, it doesn't say 72 hours, it says UP TO 72 hours when applied over a sealed surface. The first sentence says the dry time is 12 - 24 hours over raw wood.

John

Picture me smiling, I'm really "thick as brick" with this. Not trying to be a smart a__, but they are giving themselves that much variation between coats....

Thanks.

Brian

[Jim Becker]

Some of the variation comes from both how one might apply the product as well as bare wood is going to absorb some finish which can alter dry time. There are a lot of variables happening here. Some finishes actually require recoating within a certain period of time and if you miss it, you have to do more prep work, such as abrading the surface, for a subsequent coat. Finishing is not for the faint of heart!

[Brian Runau]

Some of the variation comes from both how one might apply the product as well as bare wood is going to absorb some finish which can alter dry time. There are a lot of variables happening here. Some finishes actually require recoating within a certain period of time and if you miss it, you have to do more prep work, such as abrading the surface, for a subsequent coat. Finishing is not for the faint of heart!
I've always had good luck with arm r seal and much prefer it over polyurethane. I think it is my technical industrial sales brain and product management brain trying to understand, but I don't have a chemical engineering degree.....Brian

[Jim Becker]

The thing with oil based finishes is that they somewhat require patience due to their nature and how they cure. And yes, those that have polyurethane resins add some things to the mix, too.

[Brian Runau]

The thing with oil based finishes is that they somewhat require patience due to their nature and how they cure. And yes, those that have polyurethane resins add some things to the mix, too.

Well there you have it, my problem in life in general, No patience. thanks brian

[Gordon Stump]

I use Arm-r- seal on walnut. In my low humidity drying cabinet after max 12 hours I sand the first coat with 320 G and apply the second and final coat. I do not know what they mean by a sealed finish. The 2nd coat dries even faster than the first coat. I know......it is not fully cured but is very dry to the touch and can be carved on the cnc router with no issues. I am a woodworker and not a furniture finisher so your mileage may vary.

[Andrew Seemann]

Arm-R-Seal is a urethane finish. I used to use Minwax polyurethane, but I switched to Arm-R-Seal mostly because it came pre-thinned to the consistency that I liked. I don't know that there is a much difference between the two. They are more similar than different.

[John TenEyck]

Actually, ARS is not pre-thinned. It has the same solids content as other varnishes. It has lower viscosity because that's how it was formulated.

John

[Andrew Seemann]

I stand corrected. Is pre-viscositied a word? :)