# Spray Polyurethane won't dry ... on some woods



## 8ball48043 (Nov 13, 2011)

Has anyone had a problem with spray Polyurethane NOT drying ... on some woods.

Yesterday I sprayed half a dozen pieces of Bubinga, Bocote, and Cocobolo with just two very light coats of ACE Hardware Clear Finish spray Polyurethane.

The Bubinga pieces are nice and dry and hard, but ...  the Bocote and Cocobolo are still tacky.

This is after approximately 24 hours.

Thoughts ???


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## Ted iin Michigan (Nov 13, 2011)

Bill - Some (actually a lot) of the exotic woods are high in natural oils (Bocote is a prime example, Cocobolo, also). The oils interfere with the curing of the poly. About the only fix for this is to remove the uncured poly. Use a Scotchbrite and wet it with a solvent like mineral spirits. Then set it aside to dry. After all the poly is removed and the blank is dry, I've been successful by wiping the wood with denatured alcohol (some folks prefer acetone). After the wood id dry to the touch, I've applied shellac as a sealer. You can spray it on from a can for best results. It dries fast. Just be sure you get ample coverage. Let it go for a couple hours. Then you should be able to apply poly.


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## pensbydesign (Nov 13, 2011)

oil from the wood will wick up into the poly and not allow it to dry. a coat of dewaxed shellac sanding sealer will do the trick.


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