Waterlox smell

[Stan Krupowies]

Just finished my cherry cabinet with Waterlox and I'm wondering how long it takes for the smell to fully go away? The last coat I applied was last weekend and while the cabinet is closed the smell really builds up a lot. When it's opened again the odor is very strong. I am keeping it open as much as possible and I even have a fan blowing on it with the hope that the increased air movement will help the varnish cure quicker. But as it is right now I can't put anything in the cabinet because I'm sure whatever is in there will acquire the odor.

[Steve Schoene]

Varnish takes a long time to fully cure. Inside cabinets the odor can be noticeable for months. I would give the Waterlox a month to become substantially cured, and then seal odor with a coat or two of shellac.

In general it is wise to only use shellac or waterborne finishes if cabinet interiors require finish.

[Stan Krupowies]

In general it is wise to only use shellac or waterborne finishes if cabinet interiors require finish.

All of the interior of the carcass I finished with water born poly. I have 6 slide out shelves that were finished with Waterlox as well as the doors. I think the odor is primarily from the doors as the shelves were last coated about 2 weeks ago. Am I wasting energy with the fan on it or will that actually help?

[Chad Bender]

The smell will take at least a month to dissapate. I've used waterlox inside cabinets, with no long term ill effects. But doing so requires waiting for 4-6 weeks prior to putting the item into service. Keep it in an out of the way shop corner (ideally with decent airflow) and with all doors open, drawers out, etc.

Waterlox takes 3-4 weeks to fully cure under the best of circumstances, so interiors take longer. The final cured surface will be much more durable than the surface after a week or so. And the gloss will change over that month as well. I almost always buff down waterlox once it's fully cured to degloss the surface and remove any hint of dust that got trapped in the final coat. 0000 steel wool and a little soapy water works great. Supposedly brown paper bags are also good, but I haven't tried them.

Waterlox is a fantastic finish, but not a good choice when you're in a rush.

[Jeff Monson]

The smell will take at least a month to dissapate.

Yes, I've had similar experiences with Waterlox, the last table I sprayed with Waterlox took about 6 weeks to quit smelling.

[Howard Acheson]

>>>> while the cabinet is closed the smell really builds up a lot

Oil based finishes off-gas forever as it continues to cure. The off-gassing slows down over time but never really stops. When it is used on the inside of an enclosed space, you will always notice the odor when you open the door. As Steve has said, if you have an enclosed space use shellac or a waterborne finish on the inside if cloth, clothing or food stuff will be stored inside.

Some have been successful over-coating the oil based finish with a dewaxed shellac. But you must be sure to completely seal all area. If you miss a spot, the odor will get out.

[Andrew Pitonyak]

I have it written down somewhere..... I vaguely remember that the surface is ninety something percent cured (97%??) in the first month. I think that they said that you can coat over a surface finished with the original (high VOC formula) with the newer low VOC formula after 6 months. That number corresponds nicely with this document

http://www.waterlox.com/assets/pdfs/...uide-FINAL.pdf

which claims that "sheen" stabilizes between 3 and 6 months, so I assume (assume means wild guess) that between 3 and 6 months the majority of the off-gassing will be complete. I was certainly smelling my handrails for more than a month after I finished them with waterlox.

I have some mahogany drawer bottoms that I wanted to finish with Waterlox, but I think that I will stick with Shellac or water based poly (if I finish them at all) to avoid the smell.

[Robert LaPlaca]

Just to confirm what other posters have said.. For the inside of cases and drawers I use shellac, as much as I love Waterlox Original it smells to high heaven...On the outside of the case, much of the smell seems to dissipate in about 30 to 45 days, I believe the increased air exposure does make the product cure faster.

I put the lightest, tightness of coats of Waterlox Orginal applied with a cloth and I am always amazed how much the product smells..

[Stan Krupowies]

I really wish I had asked this question earlier. I built this cabinet to be a pantry in my kitchen and now I'm concerned that I won't really be able to use it like I fully planned. I understand that the smell will dissipate but I wonder if I can store open food containers (cereal boxes, crackers, rice, etc.) in the cabinet without them taking on the smell and/or taste of Waterlox. Something tells me that Waterlox flavored Frosted Flakes won't be all that appetizing. I may let it go for a month and then give it a coat or two of shellac. If I do that, will it change the appearance of the Waterlox?

[Chad Bender]

Let it sit a month in a well ventilated area, with all doors open, drawers out, back removed (if possible). Lots of airflow is the key here, more so than temperature.

After that time, close it up for a day or two and then see how much of the residual smell remains before you go covering up the extremely durable, extremely repairable (not to mention nice to look at) surface with shellac.

[Howard Acheson]

>>>> If I do that, will it change the appearance of the Waterlox?

>>>> If I do that, will it change the appearance of the Waterlox?

Very little if at all. It's only the insides that need to be coated with shellac so who cares how it looks. You want to coat it with Zinsser Clear Coat which is a 100% dewaxed shellac.

The shellac solution is not 100% guaranteed. If you miss any spots inside or if the finish get damaged and allows the odor to get out, you will still have the problem.