Thread: Ideas on finishing scales in an unheated shop this winter!?!

Originally Posted by rodb

depending on the size of the garage and other factors, maybe electric space heaters?

That sounds good. If you help heat the garage up with space heaters , then build you a small area for doing your scales using the 125W light bulb. You could even maybe buy an old used electric oven that still works & use the low settings of it. That way you wouldn't have to worry about a fire hazard as much.

Before you do a CA in that garage, even in a warm box. Bring the final sanded items into the house and if you have a dehydrator, use it over night.

If you warm the items first to slightly warm to the touch, you will have much better luck with any finish. If it is too hot to hold against your lower lip...it is too hot!

The moisture is then expelled from the surface. For a solvent reduced finish, like lacquer or varnish, the solvent is forced outward instead of the material skinning over and trapping the excess solvent in the item or the finish below the surface. For CA. the pores are open a little and more can sink in. I like the super thin "HotStuff because it flows into tiny pores.

Do not use an accelerator for the first couple coats. It can cause some unpleasant bubbling. If you have used it successfully in the past you will know how to use it.Do not use it at all on your first project.

IMHO a heat lamp is a no no. Great for a Mexican restaurant but not good for a finishing shelf.

Just my take from a lot of years in model shops.
Have fun!
~Richard

That 2 cu.ft. box is a definite fire hazard.

I would put a timer on the circuit and have it cut out after a short time until you get some data on how hot the interior gets over time.
I would put a thermometer in the box. Weber grill thermometers work great for this application.

Of course, you can go with a thermostat.
A Ground fault circuit would be wise but probably would not trip until the charring is at a dangerous level.
JMO

Good luck

Originally Posted by Geezer

Before you do a CA in that garage, even in a warm box. Bring the final sanded items into the house and if you have a dehydrator, use it over night.

If you warm the items first to slightly warm to the touch, you will have much better luck with any finish. If it is too hot to hold against your lower lip...it is too hot!

The moisture is then expelled from the surface. For a solvent reduced finish, like lacquer or varnish, the solvent is forced outward instead of the material skinning over and trapping the excess solvent in the item or the finish below the surface. For CA. the pores are open a little and more can sink in. I like the super thin "HotStuff because it flows into tiny pores.

Do not use an accelerator for the first couple coats. It can cause some unpleasant bubbling. If you have used it successfully in the past you will know how to use it.Do not use it at all on your first project.

IMHO a heat lamp is a no no. Great for a Mexican restaurant but not good for a finishing shelf.

Just my take from a lot of years in model shops.
Have fun!
~Richard

Yes, I couldn't figure out why not bring them in the house for the CA. However, CA likes warmth and humidity to "go off." Don't put CA'd items in the dehumidifier, Maybe use it before but not after.

Switch scale materials, go with some horn, african ebony, desert ironwood, cocabolo and the such that will take a nice polish and wax...that's it. Experimenting with different materials is what grows your experience and gives diversity to your collection.

I'd recommend you build your box a little bigger and build it out of fireboard (fire retardant gypsum board). It is used around fireplaces in homes, comes in 4 x 8 ft sheets 5/8 inch thick for around $12 (USD). You can hold a propane torch on it and it doesn't burn - doesn't burn with oxy-acetylene either but it does make a melted mess. (I had to at least try it )
Seal the edges with fire barrier sealant to keep the heat in and not have burning sealant.
Make sure that you run the box empty for a few hours before really using it. That is just to "burn" out any oils/grease/dust/etc. that get in the box during building - you don't want that junk messing up your finishes.
You may also want to add a small fan to keep the air moving around inside of the box.

Seeing that humidity is the thing that cures CA. I don't understand the logic of using a 'hot box' .

Some interesting reading here:
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