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Thread: Praise for Wipe on Poly

  1. #16
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    Thanks Prashun! I've got just the project to give this a try.

  2. #17
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    Beautiful work!
    Shawn

    "no trees were harmed in the creation of this message, however some electrons were temporarily inconvenienced."

    "I resent having to use my brain to do your thinking"

  3. #18
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    I did the walnut slab top with 3 wiped on coats of Arm-R-Seal and 3 more brushed on ones which were cut about 25% with MS. Backwards, I know, but that's a long story. Anyway, that probably means it has the equivalent of about 7 or 8 wiped on coats. It doesn't look plastic like at all and it was plenty thick enough to rub out, which I did 12 days after the last coat. I'm not advocating Arm-R-Seal over Waterlox, only saying that it must cure a lot faster and that not all poly varnishes look like plastic. In full disclosure, I used gloss. I have seen that plastic look with too many coats of satin sheen, but never with semi gloss or gloss.

    John

  4. #19
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    I like Arm R Seal too, and if I'm the casual reader, I'd trust John T's eyes more than mine, but, I found Arm R Seal to look about as plastic as Minwax when it starts to build a film. FWIW, I think I'm alone in that perception, so maybe I'm wrong.

  5. #20
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    I am not a fan of Poly but your explanation makes sense..thank you.
    Jerry

  6. #21
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    West Central Alberta, East of the Rockies - West of the Rest
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    Thank you Prashun for the tip, I fell in love with Minwax Wipeon Poly 3 years ago when I applied it on a shelf project I built after plans in Wood Magazine (I think), but I've never mixed the gloss and semi gloss. I'll have to try it asap.

  7. image.jpg
    Quote Originally Posted by Prashun Patel View Post
    I also get that problem with ArmRSeal. It doesn't feel as thinned as this solution is.

    I've said a million times how much I love Waterlox OSF for the color. It performs similarly to this mix; it levels when wiped in circles. But the smell is a non-starter when finishing indoors. It's also a one-gloss pony, only available mail-order for me, and has a short bottle life.

    In fact, I finished this bench with Waterlox OSF just for the color on the sealing coat, then switched to poly for the rest.
    Prashun, thanks for this write up, it has been a huge help, I am just about done building a dining table out of Peruvian walnut, the top is Peruvian, and the base is regular walnut, I want my finished product to look like the pictures in this post, is there anyway you can give me some instruction of how to accomplish this. I should mention this is my first finished project, aside from my benchtop. I really want a satin finish, and I don't want the color of the wood to change too much. Also, this isn't just for prashun, if anyone else has an idea to accomplish a durable satin natural looking finish, then please chime in.
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Last edited by Mike williams54; 12-14-2015 at 7:34 PM. Reason: Edit, sorry, I just noticed that when I quoted you it didn't repost your photos of the finish I want to achieve.

  8. #23

    Durability

    Hi Prashun

    Thank you for sharing your recipe. It got me thinking.

    Can this recipe be applied on to a surface that already has a layer of pure Tung oil ?

    Is this recipe suitable for a tabletop that will see some usage as a dinner table or coffee table ?

    How would you maintain/repair worn areas ?

    Everybody are welcome to chip in :-)

    Iīm soon going to finish my coffe table project of Elm burl and I canīt decide what aproach to take.

    Im a newbie into woodworking and donīt have much knowledge into all the different kinds of finishes that exist. Years ago I used to make knives and usually applied a couple of coats of Danish Oil and then buffed the handle on a cotton wheel. It gave a nice finish, but was not very durable to rain as I recall.

    I want something better for my table and as I can read on this forum there are a lot more choices to pick from than I expected. I really like the soft look and feel from an oiled surface, but can I get a repellant and durable surface with Tung oil only ?


    Best regards

    Lasse Hilbrandt, Denmark.

  9. #24
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    Apr 2007
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    Mike, you can put on a first coat of boiled linseed oil and then wipe it all off. That will give the walnut some darker color. Then, you can proceed with the wipe on regimen of the poly thinned in ms. You can even just buy the premixed wipe on poly.

    The trick is sanding well beforehand and applying multiple thin coats and with each coat, being quick and not trying to work it too much.
    Last edited by Prashun Patel; 12-21-2015 at 9:11 AM.

  10. #25
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    Lasse, for a high use dinner table, I would (personally) build the finish thicker. In this capacity, I don't favor Minwax Poly. It is durable, but the look doesn't appeal to me. So if going for a thick finish, i would prefer a different varnish. For a coffee table, a thinner finish may be fine for you, though. I think it will be fine over the tung oil as long as that oil has dried well and isn't soft and gummy.

    As for repairing worn areas, you will find that with a thin film finish, it's quite easy. I just gently scuff sand with 600grit, wipe clean with MS, wipe dry, then wipe on a few more coats of the thinned varnish. The repair/refresh is easy. Asking your loved ones to wait to put their feet on it again is the hard part.
    Last edited by Prashun Patel; 12-21-2015 at 9:14 AM.

  11. #26
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    Nov 2014
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    West Granby CT
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    Prashun, thanks for the tip. I actually used it on those tack chests and was very happy with it. You are right, it was pretty "foolproof." I did 5 coats then put some wax on with steel wool. I was happy with it. I am trying to get a live edge walnut coffee table done for a gift and am using it as well. I just finished the backside of the slab, it was glue stained, and not really sanded and it still looks great. For the top I'm going to do a quick wipe on then off coat of BLO then 5 coats of "Prashun's Magic mix". I will post it when finished.

  12. #27
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    Jul 2013
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    NE Ohio
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    I like wipe-on poly as a finish. I've often use the pre-mixed satin, and even my own satin only mix but I'm going to give this a try. I dislike gloss finishes but occasionally, I do want something with a little more shine.

    I also do something different with poly finishes when I need greater durability. Table tops, are a good example. I apply 2-3 coats of normal poly with a brush sanding in between coats to flatten and smooth. This gives me a nice build and lots of protection, but I don't love the look. also, I can't get as smooth with a brush as I'd like for the top coat. So, for the final coat, I apply wipe-on poly and complete the job by applying paste wax with a 0000 plastic abrasive pad.

    I'm not a great finisher, but this typically comes out pretty good. Very often, I start with amber dewaxed shellac as the first coat. I like shellac because it adds a warm tone to the wood.
    -- Dan Rode

    "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." - Aristotle

  13. #28
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
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    Little Hocking, OH
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    Two quick questions. I am not familiar with their products. I assume all are water base?

    1. The polyurethane - fast dry or the oil modified (water base)?

    2. Polycrylic - what is the difference from the urethane?

    Thanks
    Last edited by Mark W Pugh; 12-28-2015 at 5:35 AM.

  14. #29
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    Apr 2007
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    New Jersey
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    Mark. I'm talking about oil-based polyurethane. I think it's sold as 'fast dry'.

    Polycrylic is a waterbased top coat. Polyurethane and polycrylic use different types of resins. Besides the compatibility and cleanup differences, the two products are aesthetically different, take different times to dry, and have different durabilities. They're about as different as, er, oil and water.

  15. #30
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
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    I just saw that bench, Prashun. It's beautiful. Nice work, as always.

    Could you elaborate on the timing in wiping the large circles with the blue shop towel spread out?

    The only issues I've had screwing up Waterlox (outside of the new formulation, blech....) is in going over areas too late. I usually just wipe once and walk away (although the urge to fix areas is sometimes overwhelming). Is the poly/mineral spirits mixture more forgiving time time for work-ability compared to Waterlox OSF?
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