I have a question concerning General Finish’s Oil & Urethane gloss topcoat. I’ve had good luck with this product in the past, but have always used a satin or semi-gloss. This time I am using the gloss version on some queen anne tables. I applied roughly 5 coats to the top surface following the instructions to sand with 320 between coats. I let it dry for roughly a day prior to sanding each coat. Neither the temperature or humidity were excessive.
I let the tables sit and cure for roughly 3 weeks prior to setting anything on them. However, I’ve found that when I do now set things on them, that it leaves a mark on the finish. I’m talking about relatively light objects like a telephone. The rubber feet on the phone left round marks on the gloss surface.
I have not yet rubbed out the surface.
Can I expect a gloss oil & urethane to dry hard eventually? Am I not waiting long enough for it to cure, or is this a byproduct of a gloss finish?
Also, can I eventually rub this out with pumice, rottenstone, etc, or is this finish too soft to rub out?
Thanks for the help,
Jeff
Replies
Just as an experiment, put a large drop of this stuff on a piece of glass or Formica and come back in a few days. (What I believe you are describing is "Arm-R-Seal." ) I have done this. What will you see? You will see a smooth and unwrinkled puddle. This tells you the finish is a dilute varnish. "Oil and Urethane" is code for "varnish" a product made by heating oil and resin in a controlled environment.
What you may be seeing is plasticizer migration or "packing marks" This is when the chemicals in the plastic feet that keep it soft and flexible move to the finish and effect it.
Will it ever harden? That's hard to say. How thick are your coats and how old was your finish?
You can rub it out, but due to its abrasion resistance, it will not rub all that well (I tried that too).
Thanks for the information. The finish was from a new can and the coats varied in thickness from medium to very thin.
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