Tacky Varnish

[Maydup]

I painted a small wooden box with acrylic paints, left them to dry for a couple of weeks and applied clear varnish. The clear varnish is still tacky and its been more than 3 weeks now. The varnish was a bit old, but was artist's acrylic varnish so should have been designed for the job.

The box is a gift which I wish to give to the person next weekend, what can I do to remedy the sitaution?

[woofgang]

strip the varnish off and start again?

[murraymints]

try the aerosol stuff you get to dry nail varnish ?

[murraymints]

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[Buenchico]

Varnish often won't 'set' in warm, humid weather. Try putting the wooden box into a larger plastic one and leaving it in your fridge for a while.

[Maydup]

Thanks all, of the three suggestions so far I might try the fridge. I don't have the skill or appropriate product to take the varnish off and leave the paint on; I'm not sure about the nail finish as I want this box to last a lifetime and I'd worry that the nail finish might go yellow with time. So its the fridge as it sounds logical, although I dont have a plastic box or much room in the fridge, I will try to figure it out somehow.

[rowanwitch]

Sounds like the acrylic paints and varnish have clashed in some way. Was it an acrylic varnish? If it wasn't it will probably stay tacky as the acrylic under the varnish absorbs moisture that can't escape. The only thing I can suggest is a very fine sanding to open up the surface and when it is completely dry recoat it with acrylic varnish. I suspect you may have ruined it though. Always use like for like in craft work.

[Maydup]

The varnish was artist's acrylic varnish so should have been designed for the job, but I have solved it!!!

I had a new can of picture varnish and I took the risk of using it. It was a very fine mist spray and it has sealed the varnish leaving my box shiny and dry as a bone.