How long do you leave your finishes before sanding recoating

[Rhossydd]

Over the years I've read of quite a few different approaches to how long one should leave a finish before working it further.

Having just moved from Shellac based sealers to Cellulose ones, I'm seeing finishes drying off very quickly.
So what's your timetable ?

On turned goods I'll leave 20 minutes between coats, then maybe longer for the final Melamine lacquer. Generally I'm only after a soft shine, rather than the glassy look.

 

[CHJ]

With cellulose sealer applied thinned down about 10-15% and surplus wiped off, it hardens off enough to de-nib or abrade(buff) as quick as you can sort out the next action.
If applied Neat with 'button' polishing action timeline is similar. See the basic buffing regime I use for an indication of timeline. (PDF formatted for double sided printing)
If aiming for Melamine Lacquer finish I don't have any deliberate wait stage after the sealer, but do leave the melamine 15-20 minutes before attempting to handle.

Gentle burnishing on thin melamine coats is usually safe after 30 mins.

If hard buffing of melamine coat is required I would advise waiting 24 hours at least to allow curing to start to avoid stripping of any soft areas.

General comments on Hard Buffing/Burnishing of Shellac, Acrylic and Melamine and timescales advised are covered in KimG's pamphlet , Although specifically addressing Coloured work the timescales and cautions are generic for best results.

 

[gregmcateer]

Thanks for sharing the info, Chas - really handy

 

[Aden30mm]

Sorry I don't want to steal the thread but where can you obtain good quality polishing mops from?

Thanks Chas for the useful info, I have just moved from spirit sanding sealer to cellulose product so the advice was very timely.

Rgs

Aden

 

[CHJ]

For best results you need to go for a matched set that have fabric stiffness selected to compliment the abrasives and polish.

I personally use the the Chestnut System but the Beal system is comparable, although using different mandrels.