I may have made a mistake, and I'm looking for suggestions on how to recover. I made a humidor out of spanish cedar with a Pau Ferro (I think it's also known as Bolivian Rosewood) veneer.
I mis-read Sal Marino's article on finishing oily woods. He said to first put on a couple of thin coats of shellac to seal in the wood's oils, then he likes to top it with Behlen's Rockhard Varnish.
I thought he was saying you could either coat with Shellac OR Behlen's, so I went straight to the varnish.
It has been less than a week, but the varnish is still tacky. How long should I wait before assuming that the varnish will never dry? And if I come to the conclusion that the oils in the Pau Ferro are preventing the varnish from properly curing, how can I recover?
From other postings I am considering washing the surface with naptha or mineral spirits, possibly with some Japan Drier added. After that, should I put on some Shellac, followed by more varnish?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks, Todd Graves