proper varnish curing time and packaging when shipping furniture

[Dave Cohen]

I will be finishing a piece of furniture in the next week or so, and was wondering how long to wait to let the varnish cure before packaging it up for shipping?

Also are there are any recommended wrapping materials that are safe and will not adhere to or damage the varnish?

Thanks

[Phil Phelps]

I wouldn't do anything for a month. There are a lot of materials out there that will "print", even if it's cured.

[Scott Holmes]

Another important bit of info would be the varnish you used. A catylize varnish would be able to ship much soon.

What varnish did you use?

[Dave Cohen]

Cabot marine satin Varnish...have not applied it yet.

Using a marine varnish because the bench will be in a steamy bathroom.

[Howard Acheson]

>>>> Using a marine varnish because the bench will be in a steamy bathroom.

For the future. An exterior rated marine varnish is actually less water and water vapor resistent than a standard interior varnish. External varnishes are different in only two ways. One is that they will have some UV protecturant to help them last in an outdoor sun intensive environment. Second, they are formulated to be soft and flexible so they can stain adhered as the underlying wood expands and contracts with large fluxuations in temperature and humidity. To achieve this flexibility, exterior finishes are forulated with more oil. The additional oil makes them less resistant to water and water vapor.

Except in unique situations, an internal rated product will be more durable, scratch resistant and moisture resistant.

[Dave Cohen]

Thanks Howard...

its not too late, given what you have said I may switch to an interior satin polyurethane or varnish...

This is a broad question, but what are the pros and cons of poly vs varnish...I have heard that poly is actually quite hard. I have more experience with it, why would I want to bother with a varnish ?

[Neal Clayton]

polyurethane varnishes aren't that hard, actually. it's thick and rubbery, so that it resists abrasion and hides its imperfections, to an extent.

that makes it a decent option for floors, but it has little or no benefit in any other application, imo. not to mention how finicky it is to stir, apply, etc. google "poly bubbling up" and you'll find plenty of conversations even amongst floor contractors who use the stuff every day trying to figure out why it failed to stick to whatever they were putting it on.

it's sold everywhere because it's cheaper to make, due to the resins used in polyurethane varnishes being cheaper than other types of resins. so, the word 'poly' being synonymous with any transparent wood coating has more to do with the profits of paint companies than anything else.

http://www.rockler.com/blog/index.cf...C149D634C18C2A

[Howard Acheson]

>>>> I have heard that poly is actually quite hard.

Yes, and No. The way the hardness of an oil based finish is controlled is by the ratio of resin to oil. The lower the oil percentage, the harder the resulting finish. Poly varnish intended for floors is formulated as a "short oil" finish which makes for a harder finish. Urethane is added to the resin (or used as the only resin) to make the floor less susceptable to scratches and abrasion. General purpose poly varnish intended for amateur use is formulated to be relatively soft which improves its scratch and abrasion resistance somewhat. Most non-floor poly varnish is fairly soft.