# Finishing and the weather



## RussFairfield (Nov 30, 2009)

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We are getting into one of the two times of the year (the other is mid-summer) that we start having problems with finishes. All finishes, including CA glue, work their best when the temperature and relative humidity are at 70F and 70%. We start having problems when we get too far away from this ideal condition, and the farther away, the worse the problems. At the extremes, we shouldn't be trying to put a finish on a piece of wood if we have to wear a jacket, or if there is sweat dripping off our nose. 

Unless we do our work in a controlled environment, we will be entirely at the mercy of the weather. We will have a lot of problems right now because the weather is unsettled, and there can be wild swings in both humisity and temperature from one day to the next. Unless our work area is heated, we will have to watch the weather report, and that may be a better answer to our finishing problems than anything we can say here.


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## dankc908 (Dec 1, 2009)

Russ,

I really appreciate this post.  I do have  few wooden pen blanks ready for turning and finishing.  I did notice, last summer, that I had some problems finishing some pens.  Now I know the problem.  Fortunately my wife bought me 100+ acrylic blanks for an early Christmas present.  I guess that I'll focus on the acrylics until the weather warms up.  That's better than getting frustrated with unsatisfactory finishes on the wooden pens!

Dan


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## skiprat (Dec 1, 2009)

....and all this time I thought my crappy finish was MY fault:biggrin:

Thanks Russ, you have made my day:biggrin::biggrin:


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## Larry in Harrow (Dec 1, 2009)

Ya gotta roll with the punchs.
Water is now the best adhesive around and if you spray, it makes a darn good finish as well.


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## bradh (Dec 1, 2009)

Thanks Russ. I for one have been struggling with my finish the last couple weeks. What has been working well all summer just stopped working. I have had to refinish the last half dozen pens.
     You are so right, the furnace is now on and the shop conditions have changed. Tonight I am going to turn on the furnace humidifier to help compensate for the change in the seasons.
  Thanks again for this reminder Russ.


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## mick (Dec 1, 2009)

ssssh...Russ don't say all that out loud.....my CA doesn't know the weather's cooled off. Hopefully I can keep fooling it with the Kerosene heater...:biggrin:

Seriously....great post!, timely too!


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## MesquiteMan (Dec 1, 2009)

I must just be lucky.  I use CA straight out of the freezer without letting it warm up and have no problem with my finishing.  Then again, my shop is never below 50 degrees or so so maybe that is it.


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## EBorraga (Dec 1, 2009)

Ran into this problem today. I started working in the shop it was about 38 degrees. Couldn't get the CA to act right. Once the heater kicked in a warmed the place everything worked fine. Thought it was me until I seen this post, now I know.  And knowing is half the battle.


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## DurocShark (Dec 6, 2009)

MesquiteMan said:


> I must just be lucky.  I use CA straight out of the freezer without letting it warm up and have no problem with my finishing.  Then again, my shop is never below 50 degrees or so so maybe that is it.



Don looks at MM's location

You're in Texas. Of course you can use it straight out of the freezer. 

:tongue:


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## snowman56 (Dec 6, 2009)

If you need to warm your ca.I use hand warmer's taped around the bottle it work's for me.Try it and iet us know it come's out.


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## dontheturner (Dec 11, 2009)

Hello, I jest here - (Typical for an ex-UK I suppose) - but the answer my friend, is easy - come to the Land of Smiles- Thailand.  No Cold EVER.  sometimes do get a Monsoon, in October/November though.  But I guess I am very lucky - just had built an outside 7 metre square roof section, so I can ignore even the 'Late in the year' wet spell!  dontheturner


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