Help!

[Gin]

Im using minwax polyurethane spray to refinish my Geddy Lee neck, so far so good on the headstock, but the neck is very sticky and ive put at least 3 coats on and sanded it lightly for coat 2. So whats my problem here? Do i need more coatings on the neck so it will smooth out? And do I need another coating of something else to protect the poly finish?

If someone can point me the right directions to get a smooth neck to factory like finish, then Ill be set.

Help me out Talkbass, you're my only hope!!

 

[62bass]

You say it's sticky. Do you mean that the finish is soft and not yet fully dry?

In general, you need to work in a warm environment with any varnish-above 70F is best-apply thin coats and give plenty of time between coats before applying the next. If you gobbed on really thick coats and the temperature is below 70 or so it can take forever to dry.

Did you apply the Minwax to bare stripped wood or is it over an existing finish?

Once in a while you'll come across an old container of varnish where the drying agent in it has lost its effectiveness. I once bought an old can of poly varnish hat refused to dry for over 2 weeks at 85 F. That was why it was on sale for $2. It's only a slight possibility though with the aerosol you bought.

Usually problems with finishing are caused by user error and that includes using the wrong product for the job and not following instructions.

And don't forget-it takes varnishes, including polyurethanes, weeks before they truly harden as much as they eventually will. Just because it's dry enough to sand and recoat doesn't mean it's dry enough for use.

Anyhow, more info from you would be helpful.

I also recommend you go to a library and see if you can borrow a book called "Hand Applied Finishes" by Jeff Jewitt. It's a big help and will answer any questions better than asking on the internet and getting many conflicting suggestions.

 

[Gin]

Hmmm I put the finish on bare wood and the can of Minwax Poly i bought cost me $10 CDN at my local hardware store, I only put thin coats on every 2-4 hours like the can suggested. I guess its just the waiting process I have to do. Oh and its soft is what I meant by "sticky".

 

[stflbn]

It will take it up to a week or more to get really hard. I went through this with a neck I just refinished. Several days later I leaned it up against a desk and left a nice indention in it... a week later it's hard as a rock as expected.

 

[Son of Magni]

Polyurethane on a neck is evil

 

[62bass]

Hmmm I put the finish on bare wood and the can of Minwax Poly i bought cost me $10 CDN at my local hardware store, I only put thin coats on every 2-4 hours like the can suggested. I guess its just the waiting process I have to do. Oh and its soft is what I meant by "sticky".

2-4 hours apart might be a little bit too optimistict before re-coat. Despite what the can says I like to give it a bit more than that. Temperature has a lot to do with it.

On bare wood I always wait 24 hours after the first coat to prevent trapping solvents under the finish which slows the drying process measureabley and in some case prevents it entirely.

What I'd do at this point is move the neck to a warm spot and leave it for a couple days before proceeding. Smell it from time to time. If you can still smell solvents strongly it hasn't cured.

That doesn't mean you have to wait for a full cure before re-coating, but you can't rush it either.

When you put the next coat on (after a light sanding with 400 grit) make sure the neck is warm and the spray can is too and then keep it warm until you're sure it's dry enough for another coat. 12 hours between coats is not too long. When working in hot summer weather I can get away with 4 hours between coats if they're thin enough and I don't try to build up too many at once. After 3 coats I give it at least overnight to dry before the next coats.

I used some Minwax Wipe On Poly a couple years ago on maple plywood. It was the top of a table in my basement workshop and middle of winter. The average temperature was about 65 F and I had to wait a good 12 hours before re-coating. It wasn't hard enough for use for about a week. Full cure took at least a month. It's as hard as it ever will get now though.

I'm not a big fan of polyurethane finishes and prefer a traditional alkyd varnish for fine woodwork. Poly has a few advantages such as slightly better water and chemical resistance, but it always feels a bit plasticy and rubbery to me and a little artificial looking and it won't rub out evenly to a very high gloss the way alkyd varnish will and is less resistant to UV light. But polyurethane is everywhere now and is about the only varnish most people think of when they think of varnish. Great marketing job.