What to Do While the Finish is Drying

It is a running joke on WoodTalk that I never put finish on anything. That’s not entirely true, but I do tend to put it off a lot. The reason is that my shop is useless once I have applied a coat of finish. I can’t work on anything as the dust will end up settling in the wet varnish or shellac or whatever. Even moving around and organizing things will kick up dust particles. Since my shop is pretty small I essentially have to leave the shop for an extended period of time once that wet finish is on my project. Because of this I usually finish several projects at once. I guess kicking back on the couch with a frosty beverage should be a nice reward for completing a project, and in most situations I think that would be fine. My problem now is I took 2 days off work to dedicate to finishing up some outstanding projects and to begin my shop renovation. 2 whole days with the house to myself and unrestricted shop time…that is now restricted by drying times of my oil/varnish blend. I suppose I could finish the project out in the driveway. Though the yellow coating of pollen on my car and the flowering Dogwood that overhangs the driveway makes me hesitant to do that. Sigh, guess I should have put off finishing these projects too.

Your Turn

What do you do in between coats of finish? What solutions have you come up with to keep on working with the finish is drying? Please share your thoughts and experience in the comments below.