Poly Cure Time

[Shep]

Did five coats of wipe-on poly this past weekend on a soon to be posted finished project. Got me thinking about how long to properly let poly cure before handling. I know light use is ok after a couple days, but my project involves internal hidden drawers that ride on wood tracks, all with poly on them.

I'm worried that if I install them too soon they might end up sticking together, which I don't want to do. Right now it's been about 2.5 days of dry time and it's curring well. The project is a desk that doesn't look like a desk to sit in our living room. The outside looks like a cabinet, but opens to reveal a computer laptop tray (with fold down front), and internal drawers, printer station and plenty of cubbies to make my wife happy.

I've given my wife instructions to leave objects off the top for a week or so, but thought I would ask everyone about how soon to load up the internal componets without compromising the finish.

[cabinetman]

Depending on how concentrated your 'poly' was, and I'm assuming it's oil base, it could take several days to a week for a 'cure'. Each application of finish will inhibit the coat underneath from curing properly. Oil base polyurethane will cure faster with VM&P Naptha as a thinner rather than mineral spirits.

Wood to wood runners my not work so well with oil base poly as a finish. There will likely be sticking. I usually use a hardwood, and sand up to 600x and just use paraffin (wax). The only maintenance would be to periodically clean the parts and then apply wax.
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[cgallery]

You may have to wax the runners to prevent sticking. You can probably leave the poly on 'em and just apply a coat of wax.

[Shep]

The runners just have one coat on of seal. I'll wax them later.

[steve-norrell]

I used to take the instructions on the labels at face value. After getting less than satisfactory results with both wipe-on and brush-on applications, I now let a wipe-on coat set for at least 24 hours, and brush-on coats for 36 - 48 hours before applying the next coat.

As C'man noted, top coats will slow down the setting of under coats:

Depending on how concentrated your 'poly' was, and I'm assuming it's oil base, it could take several days to a week for a 'cure'. Each application of finish will inhibit the coat underneath from curing properly.
.

Unfortunately I tend to be impatient and sometimes don't wait long enough for each coat to set up - - - with predictable results.

Hardwood and wax are best for drawer runners.

Good luck, Steve