Quoted from flipper_nutz:Oh my, the IJ is going to be a great plank to start a super restore when she's all nice and hard, like 1 year at least. Let's see if I can wait that long, hehe....
Actually I have found that at the pace I apply the clear, they are ready to install when they are recieved, but if you want to be super careful, 2 months sitting in the open, it will be done.
A production clear does 4 coats, and a dust coat all in one day, maybe 3. so all of the coats are locked down under the top coat, and have to dry chemically. I hate to share my secret, but since I allow each coat to sit for 2-4 weeks, then sand and sit for several days. Each coat is fully done, once it gets locked in by the coat on top.
I have 2 pfs in the shop now that have big notes on them to watch and dont clear. I have then sanded. They were pretty new when they got here, and the inserts had sunk enough I had to do a lot of sanding by hand because I was afraid I was going to hit the wood around the edges of inserts. Its a 9 ball and a Taxi. So its been 2-3 weeks now and I checked yesterday to see if the surface was still flat from the sanding I did and nooo. You can feel and see that they have sunk substantially. I would like to sand them level again, that way I can tell if they sunk more, but I dont have any more depth to sand. So rather that sand it level again before spraying, I am going to have to spray an uneven, but sanded surface, and let the first 2 coats fill and then I can sand level.
So if I would have just went to work as per usual, it would suck. its only been the last 2 r so years that I have been waiting till it quits moving. I waited for a repro IJ for like 5 months, and then I did my process, just because it sat so long I thought it was done and it didnt get picked up for like 5 months after I was done with it, so I got a chance to unwrap it before it went out and it was no longer glass flat. the inserts had come up enough to feel them. and that is a serious pisser. I did a lot of work to get a glass flat surface and then have it move on me.
So this isnt the same as waiting for my clear to be done, I am just mentioning this because some pfs that get here brand new are going to have to sit here while they finish drying (both wood and production clear). I have a theory that the clear drying causes the inserts to sink, and the wood drying causes the inserts to lift, but I havent proven it yet.
So if you want perfection and you have patience, and you buy a repro that was just made, your best bet is to let it sit in the open for at least 6 months at home. Longer the better. I have so many pfs here, its not convenient for me to have pfs doing their wood dry here. I can, but there is always possible accidents, and space is an issue. I have pfs everywhere in the shop and my house.
Actually I think the best thing is to ask me when I ship out your complete pf when it will be ready to install. I should have said that 15 min ago. oh well.