Elp me, varnish has gone white and cracking

[PhilipClarke]

This is the first layer, I've used this varnish a few times (it's nononsense marine varnish) and it's been very good. Last night I did put a layer on about 2am and this morning this is what it looks like. It's on pine which was sanded down to 240 grit yesterday and bushed off so there was no dust on the piece (once again all very normal). So this picture was taken 5 hours after application.

Varnish gone white.

• PhilipClarke
• 3 Jun 2011
• 1

On pine, varnish is white and cracking, coated about 5 hours ago.

The only difference was that last night I found I have a reaction to white spirit, previously I have used purple brush cleaners (the brush was clean, and even so this is where about 4 brush blobs of varnish in e.g. I blob it on / spread it out so any reaction I would have thought would have been on the first area to be painted), and so I opened the doors and windows completely as I couldn't breathe. I don't think it was exceptionally cold last night, but this is the only time I've seen it go white although I have seen quick drying varnish white upon application. The only thing I can think of is that it got colder in the room and something has happened, the varnish does appear quite dry I've just see a fly land on it.

 

[JohnD]

did it get damp before it was dry?

 

[PhilipClarke]

It wasn't damp when I was working on it, but I am wondering if because I had large patio doors open, some form of condensation appeared. The odd thing is that I just checked it and a lot of the varnish has been absorbed into the wood, quite a bit more than I would have expected (based on past experience and this is the second time I've done this exact same table since my wife wanted me to cut a foot off it) the cracking may still be there it's difficult to tell in the current light, if the cracks are there, then this drawing of the varnish into the wood has levelled them out a lot.

Here's another question actually, totally on top. We have another table that I varnished with quick drying varnish, and I found that it required a lot of coats, whereas the marine varnish requires two, so the total time for the quick drying one took longer than the marine. But with the quick drying, even a week afterwards, indoors, pieces of paper would stick to the surface is it just that B&Q's quick dry is rubbish ?

 

[big-all]

filler water or grease can cause what you see
it to me seems to have a patern suggesting material like clothes towel cloth

did anybody lean on it put anything on it sit on it ??

 

[PhilipClarke]

No I was the first one up this morning, but it is entirely irrelevant now since within the last ten minutes I have just found my children bouncing a cricket ball off the table

 

[big-all]

if it was outside maybe an animal sat on it??

 

[PhilipClarke]

It was placed outside after I discovered the white oddness to dry it quicker as I figured I'm going to need to take the whole lot off, but it could have been one of the plethora of next door's cats who probably would have no qualms in coming through the open patio doors.

That's quite a good theory although there were no obvious paws prints for it to get on, ah maybe it just put it's paws on the side of the table and then tried to lick the varnish, any screams about a dead cat from the little old lady next door and that could well be the explanation. I don't think a bird would come into the house and the garden's resident hedgehog is far too lethargic, it doesn't even bother rolling into a ball when approached.

 

[big-all]

the fir may be greasy dusty wet
i to would expect there to be paw prints maybe it was nearly dry so the passing foot contact didnt register where as the 2 hour nap did??