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I'm finishing up a couple bamboo backed ipe bows and I applied a first coat of Minwax spar urethane last night around 4:30 PM. This morning at 7:30 it was still tacky to the touch in some areas. My temps in my apartment are not below about 72 - 75F and not humid by any means. This is the first time I've ever used spar urethane. I wanted to get a nice glossy finish but now I'm wondering what I've gotten myself into. How should I go about correcting this problem? I'm thinking if it hasn't dried 10 hours after applying it, it probably isn't GOING to dry. Could I pop the two bows into my heat box and set the temp as low as possible - say 90 degrees for an hour or so and see if that does anything, or go over them with my heat gun on its lowest setting (or a hair dryer)? The finish is tacky in some areas but seems alright on others. However, more of the finish is tacky than isn't. Can a rag soaked in mineral spirits take this stuff off? A guy at the wood working store suggested a chemical stripper but I'm really wary of that and what it'll do to the Smooth-On. I guess I could try sanding it all off but that just seems like the worst possible way to go. If the finish isn't dry by the time I get home from work this evening I'll know for sure that something is wrong. At that point it'll have been on for a full 24 hours or more. These ended up being a couple of really beautiful bows - I don't want to screw them up when they're practically finished. Advice, suggestions? Oh yeah, the urethane sat in a freezing cold car for 4 hours but warmed up to room temperature for 24 hours before I openned the can. Oh yeah, and openning the can - whoo! Something was wrong there because the lid was on so tight I pretty much ruined it getting it off. I finally had to use a pair of pliers to get the lid off and after that it wouldn't go back on tight so I had to place a plastic bag between the lid and the can to make sure it'd stay sealed properly. However, now I'm wondering if the urethane is somehow bad. Maybe I'm better off just stripping the stuff off and putting on Tru-oil or Teak oil or something similar. I ultimately want to get a glossy finish.
Posts: 68 | From: Illinois | Registered: Nov 2009
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posted
I would like to know this too. I just finished staining a bow rack a real nice Dark Walnut color and sprayed it with three coats of this stuff. It is still very slightly tacky, and it attracts dust and dog hair like a magnet. Very frustrating.
-------------------- 50" Shakespeare Cascade
Proud owner of "Bill" the recurve Posts: 1009 | From: Utah | Registered: Aug 2009
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I would give it more time to dry before doing anything to it..I use the Minwax brand in the shaker spray can and have a dehumidifier in my spray finish room. I had a bow take a full 2 days to completly dry once,dont know why..just weird science I guess??? never worked with ipe, is it oily?
Posts: 2559 | From: Ocala , Florida | Registered: Mar 2005
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Did you clean your bow first using a thinner? If so what kind? Also, did you use a tack rag to clean off any dust? I've had drying problems cleaning with the wrong thinner and using cheap tack rags from Wally World.-ART
Posts: 1473 | From: Lansing, WVa | Registered: Jan 2006
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I have had the same problem with spar. I normaly don't even touch the bow for at least 3 days. And the thicker the coat, the longer it takes. A warm area will help you out.
Posts: 5385 | From: SW PA | Registered: Oct 2006
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Have used it on four bows and never had a problem with it drying. Haven't tried it on a bow built with woods that need to be sealed before appling the finish coats.
-------------------- "If I had tried a little harder and practiced a little more, by now I could have been average"...Me Posts: 1515 | From: Macon, Ga. | Registered: May 2009
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Most likely the oil in the Ipe, as said, just be patient it'll dry eventually.
-------------------- "If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy" Red Green Posts: 7499 | From: Nevada | Registered: Apr 2003
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Ah BWD, maybe there in lies the problem. Not sealing the wood? What would one use to seal wood, before applying spar? I always make bows from Osage and Bamboo. Both very hard materials.
Posts: 5385 | From: SW PA | Registered: Oct 2006
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I used Minwax spar urithane on my first self bow last summer.I took it at least a week to dry.My shop has a dehumidifier running at all time so its fairly dry.I was to the same point you are.I thought I was going to have to try to clean it off with something and start over.Just give it time it will dry.
Posts: 837 | From: southern Illinois | Registered: Mar 2009
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Do a search for oily wood on bowyer bench. Sound advise posted there.
-------------------- "If I had tried a little harder and practiced a little more, by now I could have been average"...Me Posts: 1515 | From: Macon, Ga. | Registered: May 2009
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The bow I had take 2 days to "dry" had .030 cocobolo veneers in the limbs. I used superglue on the limb edges (2 coats)and lightly sanded..still took a couple of days to dry on the limb edges, the dymondwood riser and glass limbs were good and dry to the touch in less than 8 hours. The directions on the can says to let cure for 24 hours before normal use...that is always hard to do...
Posts: 2559 | From: Ocala , Florida | Registered: Mar 2005
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