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Hi, I have a guitar that is getting ready for finish. I usually finish outside and let the guitar hang in my shed until cured, but it is getting on toward winter and the low temps will not allow this. I was thinking of building a sort of drying cabinet out of plywood and caulking all seams so it was airtight, with a rubber seal on the door, in the hopes that I could spray outside during the warmer daytime hours and seal it up in the box to bring inside. Has anyone done anything like this? Will this contain the fumes, or will the plywood be pourous enough for them to gas out into the house? Or will the off gassing inside the box eat away at the caulking, build up pressure inside the box, or be dangerous in some way(explosion, combustion, etc.)? Or will containing the guitar and gasses the finish gives off in an airtight container interfere in some way with the curing of the finish? I'm using aerosol spray lacquers. Any help/thoughts appreciated.

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Mike

The only thing nescessary for evil to thrive is for good men to do nothing.

if possible vent your drying box to the outside in an upwardly path. the warmer air will rise taking a good bit of the fumes with it.

If you have a covered outside area, you could build a simple box with a 60 or 100 watt light for heat. Don't build it so tight it can't breath the fumes away.

The fumes inside may be combustable, you may need a spark-free fan if you vent it that way. A fume filled box is probably not too safe to bring inside if its still fumey.

Some place has no-spark electric fans Im sure. People here use em.

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Here is what a Parlor Guitar is for!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEa8PkjO6_I

I used to grow mushrooms in a old fridge. Put a light bulb for heat, and a bathroom exaust fan to circulate (intake/exaust). Maybe not quite what you are looking for, but already sealed tight, insulated, and easily adapted. You could probably find an old fridge anywhere.

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It is better to try and fail, than never try at all

Also, in the winter in an unheated garage, with a small fresh air intake, and a 75 watt bulb, it stayed around 85-90 deg.

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It is better to try and fail, than never try at all

Thanks to all for your help. I think I'm gonna go with a box and lightbulb vented to the outside of the shed. However, is it realistic to worry about the heat from the bulb igniting the fumes, or the possibility of a spark from the lamp doing the same?

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Mike

The only thing nescessary for evil to thrive is for good men to do nothing.

I think in any situation where there is an element of risk you have to do a best case/worst case assessment. Nitro fumes in a passively ventilated box with a light bulb? Something weird-bulb pops etc. and no more shop. I'd be worried.

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It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.

I wouldn't say an explosion is impossible, but it is extremely unlikely if your box is vented. To cause an explosion you need a fairly high fuel / air mixture. You can easily achieve this mixture while spraying, but with an instrument that has already flashed of most of it's solvent?
I have personally done this without problems. You might want to find a safer source of heat if you feel the need. There are solid (encased) heating elements available in any wattage you like. Electronics wholesalers sell them & probably so does McMaster-Carr. You would need a thermostat on one of those, though.
I used to store all my wood & "on the go" projects in a light bulb heated "dry box". Worked great before I had a heated, humidity controlled shop.