WEEK COMMENCING 12 JANUARY 2025

Hi

Newsletter is not only back, it’s had a facelift! What do you think of the new look?

Before we get to the questions, let me be the last to wish you a Happy New Year! I hope it’s a good one for all of us. Thank you also to everyone who sent Christmas wishes to me and the team, and to those hardy individuals who joined in with our Twixmas quiz. I hope you had as much fun as I did; I really should do them more often!

Drying and curing time is often something we get asked about, and a question came in this week asking about the curing time of Acrylic Satin Lacquer.

Most of our products air-dry—that is, any solvents (including water) will evaporate away to leave a dry film. For some of them, that’s the end of the story; they are as dry and as hard as they’re going to get. So, in the case of the Acrylic Satin Lacquer, this is about 20 minutes—although it never hurts to leave it a little longer in case one area has been applied more heavily than others.

For the Melamine Lacquer, though, once it’s air-dried, a chemical reaction starts, and the lacquer cures, which results in a hard-wearing surface. Most of this, about 90%, takes place in the first seven days after application. It then slows down, and the final 10% can take up to fourteen days more.
So, if maximum hardness is required, be patient. But 90% is pretty good, so seven days of curing is enough for most purposes.

Another caller this week asked about using Burnishing Cream. It’s one of those products that can catch people out.

Burnishing Cream is a creamy liquid with a very fine abrasive in it. It’s very important to shake it well before use to make sure the grit is fully mixed in. You’ll know if it is, as it’ll be a dirty pink colour. The other important point is to use it sparingly; if the cloth is too wet, it’ll just skate over the surface, rather than burnishing it.

Burnishing Cream can be used on our lacquers, sealers, Friction Polish, Wipe-On Poly, and even oils. The important factor here is to make sure the coating is fully dry before burnishing it.

Finally, for this week, we’d been corresponding with someone asking about oils to use when finishing pens. We’d normally recommend Melamine Lacquer for pens, but Hard Wax Oil is a good substitute if preferred. It’s quick-drying and very hard-wearing.

“Will it still benefit from a coat of Microcrystalline Wax,” they countered, “to resist fingerprinting?” The Hard Wax Oil is pretty resistant, but a thin coat of the wax will certainly seal the deal.

Well, that’s the first Newsletter of the year done! I know that some of you have missed it—you’ve told me!—and thank you for that. It really makes my day when readers tell me they enjoy the Newsletter, and when they stop by at shows just to say hello. We’ll keep it going, and don’t forget, if we’re not answering the questions you want to know about, you only have to ask!

All the best (I need a better sign off, but ‘Happy Finishing’ sounds morbid!)

Terry