[wehill]

I recently made a container out of cherry and finished it with urethane. I use a 1:1 Urathane/Mineral Spirits mixture for my first coat, then a 3:1 mixture from there on.

For whatever reason the container [after three to four weeks] still have an odor after it has been closed for a time. I am wondering if anyone thinks this is still coming from the mineral spirits I used?

My intended use was for dry dog food storage for our Snauzer. I have never experienced this lingering odor on any of my projects, but of course they are flat surfaces with no enclosed areas, except for drawers etc.

Any thoughts?

 

[HowardAcheson]

>>>> For whatever reason the container [after three to four weeks] still have an odor after it has been closed for a time.

Oil based finishes off-gas almost forever as they are curing. It's the linseed oil and resin that produces the odor, not the mineral spirits. While most of the odor is gone within 4-5 weeks for outside surfaces, enclosed areas will continue to off-gas producing the odor.

Some have been successful coating the inside surfaces with dewaxed shellac but if you miss any area, or later damage the surface, the odor will persist. The odor will permeate any cloth or clothing and most exposed foodstuffs.

For the future, coat interior surfaces with shellac, lacquer or waterborne finish.

 

[Fred Hargis]

Chalk this up as a painful lesson. It will be quite a while before that's useable for what you intended.

 

[Steve Neul]

One thing that would accelerate the cure process if ventilation. If you left it open expecially if you put a fan blowing on it, it wold cure faster.

 

[wehill]

Chalk this up as a painful lesson. It will be quite a while before that's useable for what you intended.

The good thing is that the odor got my attention and made me concerned about using it. I didn't even think of it and didn't even intend to finish the inside until the last minute.

I have gradually replaced all the cabinet doors and counter tops in our RV with real cherry wood and made this dog food storage to match such is life and no real loss as I can use it for something. I will keep the lid off and give it a few months, but not sure I will be able to trust it then.

Thanks, for telling me what my gut had already told me :icon_smile:

 

[HowardAcheson]

One thing that would accelerate the cure process if ventilation. If you left it open expecially if you put a fan blowing on it, it wold cure faster.

It's worth a try but I've never known of it to work.

 

[wehill]

I used a blow dryer on it and it did help some. I have moved it to an area where it gets some heat and I can already tell a big difference in the intensity of the odor.

 

[HowardAcheson]

The odor is concentrated and intensified when the space is covered. The finish is always off-gassing. It might dissipate somewhat when uncovered but it will build up again when it has been covered for a period of time.