Oops... Finishing Mistake

[pgfitzgerald]

I'm currently working on putting the finish on four pens, one of which is made from Bocote. I've been using Les Elm's Poly finishing tutorial with good results... that is until I tried it on Bocote. The poly doesn't seem to be drying as it should.

So my question is... what's the best way to get the poly off so I can use some sort of sanding sealer (maybe de-waxed shellac) before putting the poly back on. Seems like trying to sand it off would result in a gummy mess. Would mineral spirits work better?

Paul

 

[jttheclockman]

Yes dewaxed shellac will do. Mineral spirits is what is used to thin it so it should help in the clean up. Acetone will help with the remaining mess. Also always clean oily woods with acetone before even the dewaxed shellac.

 

[pgfitzgerald]

Yes dewaxed shellac will do. Acetone will help with the mess. Also always clean oily woods with acetone before even the dewaxed shellac.

Will the acetone take the poly completely off or do I need to do anything else to clean the blank before I use the shellac?

I've got some cocobolo and some olivewood I'm working on too. I'll give the acetone + shellac + poly a try one those as well.

Thanks!

Paul

 

[Mack C.]

Will the acetone take the poly completely off or do I need to do anything else to clean the blank before I use the shellac?

Hi Paul; The acetone should take the poly off completely. You may need to do a little hand sanding with 600+ grit.

I've got some cocobolo and some olivewood I'm working on too. I'll give the acetone + shellac + poly a try one those as well.

Good thought. The Cocobolo is so oily the poly won't dry over night. I generally put on 2 coats of shellac on an oily wood prior to applying the poly. Not to take anything away from Les's instructions with respect to applying the poly, but I use an artists brush from Michaels to apply it.

 

[pgfitzgerald]

It worked like a charm!

The acetone took the poly off just fine. Then one coat of Zinsser Seal Coat is all it took to seal it up. Poly is drying as expected now.

Thanks a bunch!

Paul