Japan Drier Question


roughsawn

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I mixed some yesterday in 8 oz of poly/blo/ms, and dried perfect in between coats. I was able to wipe on 3 coats during the course of the day. Stored the remainder...approx 4 oz...in a sealed jar. Today I put a coat on, and the first coat using the remainder of the jar never dried today. Still tacky 8 hours later.

Are you supposed to re-ad a little Japan Drier to the mix the following day, after overnight storage, or before the next time using it? Does it flash off in the mixture every day?

Or, after adding it to to mix/blend, should it keep doing it's magic without having to add more before each use?

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I don't know how to answer your question. It's reasons like this that I solely use Minwax wipe on poly. It just works ever time, is cheap, looks the same to my eye, an doesn't require me to play mad scientist. A quart can be had at Menards for around $10 on sale. I stocked up during the bag sale a few weeks ago and paid around $9 a quart.

If you want to stick with the mixture best advice I have is run test boards and see how it works out. While your running test boards might want to compare a wiping poly and the mixture, but it might save you some headaches. Just a thought, i know it's not what you wanted for advice.

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Yep, no problem. I put them in a warmer room overnight, with a ceiling fan on, and they were perfect this morning. I really would like to know if anyone knows if the drier has to be re-added to a mixture that has been stored. Just for my knowledge.

I've always used Minwax poly, and thinned 50/50 with min spirits. It's an awesome wipe on. I still like to try different stuff. Need to grow, and keep learning.

Next, I'm going to give General Finishes a whirl. Everyone loves it, and I have a fresh quart sitting in a drawer.

By the way, the directions for Japan Drier says "no more than 1 or 2 ounces per gallon". I mixed up 6 oz of wipe on. So, the 10 drops that I put in with a mini syringe was hardly worth running to town to buy a pint. That'll probably still be on the shelf when I tip over...

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Japan dryer is a catalyst for the curing chemical reaction.  I don't know, but I wouldn't think you'd need to add more or that it's effectiveness degrades over short intervals of time.  I understand that it is a component of many commercial finish products and none of those require more Japan dryer be added.  Perhaps your issue did have more to do with ambient temperature. 

Since you like to experiment, are you familiar with Flexner's Understanding Wood Finishes, 3rd ed?

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I have used mixtures with Japan dryer added on different projects over a period of several weeks without issue. I don’t know that this means the Japan dryer remains stable or if I’m just lucky. It’s sometimes hard to tell as I am in a southern California desert basin and finishes behave very well around here.

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On 2/15/2022 at 8:47 AM, Mark J said:

  Perhaps your issue did have more to do with ambient temperature. 

Since you like to experiment, are you familiar with Flexner's Understanding Wood Finishes, 3rd ed?

Thanks Mark. I believe temp was the issue. I left them in the shop at 60-62 for approx 24 hours. I think as the 4th coat built up, drying was slower...as the wood was no longer sucking up the finish. Overnight at 67, in an adjoining room with a ceiling fan on low, and everything was dry as a bone the following morning.

I will look up that book.

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On 2/14/2022 at 7:06 PM, roughsawn said:

I've always used Minwax poly, and thinned 50/50 with min spirits. It's an awesome wipe on.

I've never felt the need to thin Wipe on Poly it's really thin out of the can, like water thin. Are you talking their regular brush poly that you've thinned? I've done that and it's not the same. This is the can I'm talking about. I just want to make sure we're on the same page.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I have used the 1:1:1 mix with japan drier many times and really like it. I'm not knocking wipe on poly, but it is not the same. I have never had the problem you experienced. I tend to agree that it was likely the temperature. Don't give up on it. It makes a great finish. Did you know that you can substitute pure tung oil for the blo. It has a color a bit lighter than the blo. You can also sub turpentine for the ms. Not sure that this has any advantage, but I like the smell of it better.

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This mix...finish...has become a new favorite. I'll start using it a lot more.

I just finished milling a couple live edge shelves, with the bark removed. Perhaps I should be calling it a "natural edge". From a rough sawn white oak plank out of my stash. Neat, because the edge facing me still has the slant as it was going around the curve of the trunk.

I'm going to try Varathane Triple Thick Polyurethane on the edge, and probably just finish both of the shelves with it, as well. I bought it to use for this project, because I planned on leaving the bark on, and this is supposed to be a real good sealer.

The first tiny grub/worm I found laying on my workbench...after thickness planing...changed my mind on that idea. That plank has been in the pile for 2-1/2 years, and it was still wiggling!

Will report on the Triple Thick after they're done. If anyone has experience or suggestions with the triple thick, I'm all ears.

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