# Japan dryer whatzit

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japan-dryer-whatzit/23453
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [June 25, 2000, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japan-dryer-whatzit/23453 "2000-06-25T06:32:32Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![justwannano](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7ab992/32.png) [@justwannano](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/justwannano)
#### Post date: [June 25, 2000, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japan-dryer-whatzit/23453/1 "2000-06-25T06:32:32Z")

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What is japan dryer.The stuff used in paint.Is it like turpentine or more like paint thinner.What is it made of.

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### Author: ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)
#### Post date: [June 27, 2000, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japan-dryer-whatzit/23453/2 "2000-06-27T01:00:15Z")

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MY WAG There is a kind of lacquer or stain called “japanned”–it is a crackled finish.

I suppose that “japan dryer” prevent crackling when varnish dries.

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### Author: ![justwannano](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7ab992/32.png) [@justwannano](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/justwannano)
#### Post date: [June 27, 2000, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japan-dryer-whatzit/23453/3 "2000-06-27T04:34:28Z")

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Thanks Bosda  
I misspelled dryer.It should have been Drier.  
It is a paint additive that speeds the drying of paint.I just wanted to know what the stuff was,ie,naptha,turpentine etc

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### Author: ![Chas.E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e99b99/32.png) [@Chas.E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chas.E)
#### Post date: [June 27, 2000, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japan-dryer-whatzit/23453/4 "2000-06-27T08:06:54Z")

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Japan drier isn’t related to “Japanning” or lacquerware. Japan drier is a chemical additive used to speed up the drying of oil paints. Some paints can take weeks to dry, so artists always want to cut corners and speed up the process. Alas, as with most shortcuts, there is a penalty. Paintings done with driers tend to become brittle and crack, or discolor with age. I personally don’t use driers in my oil paintings.