Table finishing

[fred henkin]

I am working on a pine table that is 7 1\2' long by 40" wide. It is all glued up and ready for stain and finishing. Right now it is in my garage. Humidity in Ohio these days is on the high side. Can I stain it out there then move it in to the dining room for the finish coats. My issue then becomes the sanding between the finish coats. I'm afraid that if I finish it in the garage the humidity will adversely affect it. Any thoughts or suggestions? Would a dehumidifier in a 2 car garage be enough to bring the humidity down to a workable level?

[Wayne Lomman]

If no-one is going to complain about the odour of the finish coats, do it inside. The dust from sanding between coats is negligible. If you can't get away with it, pick a day when your humidity is below 85% and likely to stay there until the top is touch dry. Cheers

[Dave Rosner]

Humidity will certainly affect the drying and curing times and cause more time between coats. Its impact on the actual finish itself will really depend on the finish you are using. I’ve had some issues finishing with shellac in hig humidity - but even then it eventually gassed out and worked out just fine. Took a while though.

Id imagine anything oil based would be just fine....but simply need more time between coats.

[John TenEyck]

If you have a dehumidifier go ahead and run it and see how much it brings down the humidity. A two car garage is not that large. A 50 pt or larger unit should be able to bring the RH down under 60% or so as long as the windows and doors are closed. I'd rather do finishing in my garage than in my dining room.

John

[John C Cox]

The newer finishes can smell aweful and can give you a headache if used indoors vs the old oil varnishes that basically smelled like oil and naptha.....

Ask me how I know...

Finish it out in the garage. It will be fine.