Varnish Help

[simonfoy]

Hi everyone

I need some help with a craft day I am having at my local Hospice. Top and bottom story is I am terminally ill and am under the palliative care team at the Hospice now.
One Wednesdays it's Craft Day where me make and paint things. Being 43 and not wanting to paint a watercolour, I've ended up painting my walking sticks and pimping them up a little.

I painted the walking sticks black, with Crown black gloss, but after 5 days they still seem to be slightly tacky. Also one stick I have was already black, from manufacture. So I spray glossed it as I had put some viynls on the bottom of the sticks (flames, they make make me go faster). Now, I used spray on varnish from a craft shop and this one was dry when I used it today so thought great. When I returned home it was tacky now and also on the handle it had gone dull and lost its gloss finish. It must be the spray varnish.

How do I get them sanded back down and redone? Wirewool or sanding paper? And also would a Ronseal clear varnish (indoor) with Diamond Hard do the trick. I don't want it to lose its gloss finish when I use it.

Thanks and sorry it's so long winded.Simon

 

[Mike.S]

Simon

I'm not an expert on finishes but I suspect you've used alkyd/oil based paint and varnish which can take a long time to dry unless conditions are right. This can be exacerbated if the paint/varnish is applied too thickly.

Your options include:

- improve drying conditions i.e. ventilation and heat required. Think hairdryer; outside when sunny but protected from rain.

- remove existing finish (as you suggest) but this may be difficult if the finish remains soft e.g.sandpaper will clog. Might be worthwhile trying to remove some with an appropriate solvent (see paint can) such as turps/white spirit but if it's at that stage where solvent won't dissolve and sanding is problematic, then scraping it off might be the only solution. Use any thin metal edge if you don't have a proper scraper to hand.

When refinishing it's better to have 2/3 thin coats rather than one thick coat and let it dry in between coats.

For tough, glossy finishes I use something called Truoil which is easy to apply (just wipe it on with a lint free rag) and dries quickly. I think it's mainly used by gunsmiths to protect rifle wooden stocks. However, there's no reason why the varnishes you've used shouldn't also do the trick - time and drying conditions permitting.

Good luck - in the widest sense.

 

[simonfoy]

Hi Mike

Grateful thanks for your help. I think I will leave one of the sticks to dry over the next week or so and any new sticks I decide to tackle I will give the Tru-Oil a whirl. I never thought of oil, albeit I am not a woodworker, just a forced crafter

Once again sincere thanks for your detailed reply. I appreciate it

Simon