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I've taken a cherry kitchen table top, heavily abused by the grandkids for several years, stripped the polycrilic and other gunk, sanded from 80 through all the grits to 220. Its now got three hand applied coats of endovar satin and looks great. i'm pressured to get it back into service for xmas party soon. With the three coats it will be 6 days cured in 70 degree space. I had planned 4 or 5 coats, so the question, is three hand applied coats effective enough for kitchen use?
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I think that if you can't see any pores through the finish, that it is a continuous film, it will be fine. Six days should be long enough to qualify as about fully cured, too. Even if you see a few pin holes, I think you'd still be OK with it to get through the holidays. After things quiet down, scuff sand it and apply a couple more coats.
John
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+1
homo homini lupus
"The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity." Yeats
Si vis pacem, para bellum
Quodcumque potest manus tua facere instaner opere Ecclesiastes
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The number I've read is 200 hours for a full cure, with the cure being on a curve. Most of the curing occurs in the first 24 hours and then it slowly continues to cure (even past the 200 hour point, but in such small increments that it is not worth mentioning).
I have no independent tests to confirm, just what I've read. But I would think in 6 days you would be over 90% cured and I agree with others who say it is OK to use at that point.
I refinished tables for the local Starbucks (oil finish poly) and they put them into service after 7 days cure (168 hours) and they stood up well with no apparent distress from the early start date.
No animals were injured or killed in the production of this post.
