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I finished my instrument made of [fill in name of tropical wood here] weeks ago. Why won the finish dry?

April 26, 2017ago dry finish finished instrument Tropical weeks wood

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I finished my instrument made of [fill in name of tropical wood here] weeks ago. Why won the finish dry?

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A. The oils in many tropical woods inhibit the chemical processes in oil-based finishes, including varnishes and urethanes, that allow them to cure. If you’re working with any kind of tropical wood, test your oil-based finish on a piece of scrap first to make sure it will dry. If it doesn’t you can either switch to a finish that dries by evaporation (lacquer, shellac, French polish), or use an evaporative finish as a sealer under your oil-based finish. Be sure to test your sealer-under-oil finish on scrap, too!