A question for the finishing gurus
Posted: Fri Mar 04, 2022 6:55 pm
This is NOT a joke, set-up, gotcha, or etc. in any way, shape, or form.
Sounds impossible, but I'm 100% serious.
I have a shaped briar stummel that handles, sands, and stains normally. Top grade. Straight grain, zero surface flaws of any kind, and none encountered during shaping.
No finish of ANY KIND will harden on it, though. Shellac, lacquer, or even plain, straight carnauba.
The classic diagnosis is microscopic outgassing of an entrapped solvent, but the stummel has been repeatedly re-sanded, heated, scrubbed with alcohol---I even tried acetone---followed by extended heat drying. Every sane combination of prep steps has been tried---several times---before each finish attempt.
Zero luck. All looks great until the stummel is handled in ANY way, sugical gloves and white cotton gloves included. After brief handling it looks like pre-school kids with tree sap on their fingers passed it around.
It is the most insanity-inducing thing I've ever known. The Internet's professional furniture & woodcraft guys all say the same thing. Solvent entrapment and/or finishes past their shelf date. There is no "C".
Hell, I can't even IMAGINE what could be causing it, even theoretically.
Ideas???
Sounds impossible, but I'm 100% serious.
I have a shaped briar stummel that handles, sands, and stains normally. Top grade. Straight grain, zero surface flaws of any kind, and none encountered during shaping.
No finish of ANY KIND will harden on it, though. Shellac, lacquer, or even plain, straight carnauba.
The classic diagnosis is microscopic outgassing of an entrapped solvent, but the stummel has been repeatedly re-sanded, heated, scrubbed with alcohol---I even tried acetone---followed by extended heat drying. Every sane combination of prep steps has been tried---several times---before each finish attempt.
Zero luck. All looks great until the stummel is handled in ANY way, sugical gloves and white cotton gloves included. After brief handling it looks like pre-school kids with tree sap on their fingers passed it around.
It is the most insanity-inducing thing I've ever known. The Internet's professional furniture & woodcraft guys all say the same thing. Solvent entrapment and/or finishes past their shelf date. There is no "C".
Hell, I can't even IMAGINE what could be causing it, even theoretically.
Ideas???