How can I get the strong odour of stain and varnish out of an ash
cupboard so it can be used. I'm using vinegar in a dish but it
doesn't seem to be doing much. Opening the doors doesn't help either
or does it just take time?

Thanks
Lori

Kayla wrote in
:

How can I get the strong odour of stain and varnish out of an ash
cupboard so it can be used. I'm using vinegar in a dish but it
doesn't seem to be doing much. Opening the doors doesn't help either
or does it just take time?

Thanks
Lori


Warmth, ventilation, and time. The solvents have to evaporate.
I never heard of the vinegar trick, although it might cover up the smell.

Don

Hi Lori,
For the next time you may want to finish the inside with shellac or some
of the WB finishes to circumvent that problem. Even then a hybrid WB
varnish took about 5 weeks (open) for the odor to vanish. I have not
noticed any odor when using WB urethanes or acrylics after a week. For
some of the oil based products it seems that clothes will pick up the
odor for years. Hopefully yours is not one of these. JG

Kayla wrote:

How can I get the strong odour of stain and varnish out of an ash
cupboard so it can be used. I'm using vinegar in a dish but it
doesn't seem to be doing much. Opening the doors doesn't help either
or does it just take time?

Thanks
Lori

In article , Kayla wrote:
How can I get the strong odour of stain and varnish out of an ash
cupboard so it can be used. I'm using vinegar in a dish but it
doesn't seem to be doing much. Opening the doors doesn't help either
or does it just take time?

Vinegar isn't going to make any difference at all. Leaving the doors
open will certainly allow the odor to dissipate, but it takes time. A lot of
time.

Activated charcoal is your best bet. Any pet store will have that - it's used
in aquarium filters. It isn't cheap, though. Regular charcoal briquettes work,
too, but not as well as activated charcoal. (If you use briquettes, make sure
*not* to get the kind that are pre-saturated with lighter fluid.)

Next time, for the inside of the cabinet, use alcohol-based dye and shellac,
instead of oil-based stain and varnish. The odors dissipate within hours
instead of weeks.

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

Nobody ever left footprints in the sands of time by sitting on his butt.
And who wants to leave buttprints in the sands of time?

"Doug Miller" wrote in message news:1Zr9e.182

Activated charcoal is your best bet. Any pet store will have that - it's
used
in aquarium filters. It isn't cheap, though. Regular charcoal briquettes
work,
too, but not as well as activated charcoal. (If you use briquettes, make
sure
*not* to get the kind that are pre-saturated with lighter fluid.)

Haven't tried it out, but I've seen a number of TV ads recommending an open
box of baking soda in the refrigerator to remove odours. Wonder if it might
help the same way with the stain/varnish odour. One other thing I've done to
remove odours in an enclosed location is to put in a scented dryer sheet.
Works great.

In article , "Upscale" wrote:

Haven't tried it out, but I've seen a number of TV ads recommending an open
box of baking soda in the refrigerator to remove odours. Wonder if it might
help the same way with the stain/varnish odour.

Probably, but not nearly as well as activated charcoal. There simply isn't
anything better. Best thing about activated charcoal is that when it's "full",
you can restore its ability to absorb odors with a few hours in a hot oven.

One other thing I've done to
remove odours in an enclosed location is to put in a scented dryer sheet.
Works great.

Actually, the scented dryer sheet does nothing to *remove* undesirable odors.
It merely covers them up with a stronger, more pleasant scent, while the
undesirable odor dissipates. It won't help the OP's problem at all: she'll
have a cabinet that smells like varnish *and* Bounce.

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

Nobody ever left footprints in the sands of time by sitting on his butt.
And who wants to leave buttprints in the sands of time?

On Wed, 20 Apr 2005 02:03:26 GMT, Kayla wrote:

How can I get the strong odour of stain and varnish out of an ash
cupboard so it can be used.

Time and ventilation. A bit of warmth too (don't heat it, but don't
leave it outdoors in winter either).

As a cheaper alternative to activated charcoal, try fuller's earth. This
is the main ingredient in the grey dusty cat litter (not the red clay,
sawdust or plastic sorts). Grind it a little finer (pestle and mortar)
and spread it out on a shallow tray, then shut it inside the cupboard.

On Wed, 20 Apr 2005 02:03:26 GMT, the inscrutable Kayla
spake:

How can I get the strong odour of stain and varnish out of an ash
cupboard so it can be used. I'm using vinegar in a dish but it
doesn't seem to be doing much. Opening the doors doesn't help either
or does it just take time?

Is this old varnish? If so, get some shellac and put a thin coat of
it on the inside of the cabinet. It will kill the smell.

If it's fresh varnish, let it sit open for a week to finish curing.
Then put a coat of shellac on it.


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I did a chest last year, finished with the Sam Maloof stuff from
Rockler. There is still a strong smell inside the chest. It does
look great though.

It was suggested that I hit it with a quick coat of shellac, but we
aren't storing any blankets in the chest, no clothes, so the smell is
not a problem. But after 14 months, it still stinks.

-Dan V.

On Wed, 20 Apr 2005 02:03:26 GMT, Kayla wrote:

How can I get the strong odour of stain and varnish out of an ash
cupboard so it can be used. I'm using vinegar in a dish but it
doesn't seem to be doing much. Opening the doors doesn't help either
or does it just take time?

Thanks
Lori

The vinegar isn't helping except perhaps to replace one odor with
another. You may not like this but leave the cupboard doors wide open and
wait for the finish to cure a full two weeks.

Good Luck.

"Kayla" wrote in message
...
How can I get the strong odour of stain and varnish out of an ash
cupboard so it can be used. I'm using vinegar in a dish but it
doesn't seem to be doing much. Opening the doors doesn't help either
or does it just take time?

Thanks
Lori

On Wed, 20 Apr 2005 02:03:26 GMT, Kayla wrote:

How can I get the strong odour of stain and varnish out of an ash
cupboard so it can be used. I'm using vinegar in a dish but it
doesn't seem to be doing much. Opening the doors doesn't help either
or does it just take time?

Thanks
Lori

It takes time. You can speed it up a little with open doors and more
air movement (ie, use a fan). You can remove the doors temporarily.
The odor will greatly decrease after one month. It can take that long
for varnish (and paint) to fully cure and harden.