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I'm currently applying varnish by brush on my guitars in a small room in the back of the house separate from my downstairs workshop. Unfortunately we need this room for other things so I have to move all finishing back down to the workshop. The workshop has a 5' x 3' storage closet and I was thinking of sealing the door to the closet and putting in two windows side by side to allow the free exchange of air between the closet and the workshop proper. I've seen advertised window screens allergy sufferers use to keep out the smallest of pollens from incoming fresh air. Can I use this type of screen in the closet windows to keep out sawdust as I apply varnish and will there be enough airflow to allow the varnish to gas-off as the guitars hang to dry? Your help would be greatly appreciated.

First of all think of what you might do in the future with finish also. You definitely want a way to have ventilation in the finish room with anything you do. Does this space have an outside wall? Do you think you might spray in the future with nitro or other flammable or higher toxic finish material. If so, you need to do an exhaust fan someway and have air flow through the finish area. IMHO If using varnish or any other finishes you still need to ventilate it outside if you can. If not at least to a larger area that can get fresh air. You don't want to be sealed up in there turning blue.

I can tell you if you have your shop and not have proper venting and exhaust system and the house burns down, it will be a fight with the insurance company to pay off. Besides fire and health hazzards cannot be overemphasized.

Thanks, Stan. I'm 99% certain I'm going to stick with varnish....brushing it on, too. The workshop does receive fresh air from a window A/C and I'm hoping this is enough to "clean the air" given there is enough air exchange between the closet and the workshop. I'm not certain how much these "allergy screens" will impede that. At the very least I can put a small fan in the closet.

Oh, and I do wear a respirator.

Thanks, Stan.