Question about using a hair dryer to speed up stain drying

I was finishing a maple dresser last week and needed it ready for pickup in a day. I tried a trick from a guy at the Tacoma Woodcraft store and used a hair dryer on low heat over the second coat of General Finishes gel stain. It dried in under an hour instead of the usual six. But my buddy says this can cause uneven curing and adhesion issues down the road. Has anyone else tried this and had good or bad results?

3 comments

3 Comments

murphy.ruby3mo ago

I've done it for years with no problems, just keep the heat low and keep it moving.

wren8062mo ago

Yeah, but that's a shortcut that'll bite you later.

wren6523mo ago

Your buddy might be right about the long term. Gel stain needs to dry slow for a reason.