dunking poly

[Trackman]

Can you dunk fret work into a pan of poly and come out looking good? Or will it be to thick? Thinking this would be a good way to get the inside cuts covered. Thanks

[Bill Wilson]

I would suggest that full strength poly is too thick to dip with good results, though I've never tried it. Dipping works best with finishes that are absorbed into the wood, at least to some degree. Polyurethane is a film finish, designed to coat the surface of the wood.

You may want to try thinning it by 50% with mineral spirits first. Or if you had some boiled linseed oil on hand, mix it with equal parts poly and mineral spirits to make your own "Danish Oil". That would be suitable for dipping.

[evilbadger]

Trackman

When I make wooden geared clocks I do a 50/50 poly and mineral spirits mixture and then put it under vacuum to pull the poly into the wood. After a few days the poly will completely soak into the wood making it very stable. When I pull the blanks out of the mix the edges do get caked up with poly. I soak the wood before I do any cutting so not sure how it would work on fretwork.

[PatteM]

You'll also want to be certain that the poly doesn't drip into and collect in the inside corners on your fretwork. I've had some success at dipping and then shortly afterward using a fairly gentle air flow to blow it out of the corners and turning points.