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Thread: wipe on poly for kitchen use

  1. #1
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    wipe on poly for kitchen use

    Is minwax wipe on poly a good choice for my kitchen cabinets, I get a really smoot finish with this product after 5 coats and sanding inbetween, but is it durable enough for kitchen use? maple construction by the way.

  2. #2
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jeff Monson
    Is minwax wipe on poly a good choice for my kitchen cabinets, I get a really smoot finish with this product after 5 coats and sanding inbetween, but is it durable enough for kitchen use? maple construction by the way.
    Good and very timely question and I await the answer. I just used some wipe-on poly for the first time yesterday and today and, like you Jeff, I like the finish but I wonder about the durability. So far, I have applied three coats and I a wondering when should stop.

  3. #3
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    Frank, I've done an oak toy chest and 2 large oak displays with wipe on poly and the finish is smooth as glass, I apply 2 coats and then sand very lightly and quickly with my 5" dewalt and 220 grit, then 2 more coats and sand again, followed by 1 last coat and have been very impressed.

    But I'm really unsure of use in a kitchen as I'm FAR from a finishing expert

  4. #4
    jeff, frank, polyurethane is really a tough finish but it is very dificult to repair if you damage it. personally i don`t use it because i have tried to repair it before and don`t want the headaches. but there are lots of folks who swear by it so take my opinion with a grain of salt.....02 tod
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  5. #5
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    To answer your question, wipe-on varnish is the same a full strength varnish. It's just more highly thinned so it requires more coats to get the same film thickness. Figure that store bought wipe-on has about 1/2 the solids of full strength so two wipe-on coats is about equivilent to one full strength coat. Poly varnish is just fine for kitchen cabinets. I like non-poly varnish better as it is clearer and gives a nicer appearence.

    Rather than purchase a wipe-on varnish, you can easily make your own by mixing your favorite varnish or poly varnish 50/50 with mineral spirits. If you are using a standard poly or non-poly varnish, you can use naphtha for slightly faster drying. But the "Fast Dry" polys do not work well with naphtha and mineral spirits is the best to use.
    Last edited by Howard Acheson; 02-03-2006 at 5:43 PM.
    Howie.........

  6. #6
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    I emailed minwax just for the heck of it and here was their response,




    Hi Jeff,

    Thank you for your inquiry with the Minwax website. We appreciate you
    taking the time to contact us.

    Yes, I'd say the Wipe-On Poly is durable enough for kitchen use, but it
    isn't the most durable finish in our product line. The Fast-Drying
    Polyurethane is a more durable finish than Wipe-On Poly, but it is a
    brush-on formulation. Typically 4-6 coats of Wipe-On Poly should be all you
    need to apply.


    Thank you again for your inquiry. If you have any other questions, please
    reply with message history and I will respond as quickly as possible.

    Sincerely,
    Eric
    Minwax Technical Support

  7. #7
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    Jeff, let me make these comment about the Minwax response.

    First, there is little difference between their Minwax Fast Dry and their Wipe-on. The base varnish is the same. The wipe-on is just thinner. When the thinner has evaporated you are left with a thinner film of finish.

    When you buy the Minwax Wipe-on you are, in effect, purchasing a watered down varnish. But Minwax is charging you almost the same price as their full strength product. As I recall, they then say on the label to apply three coats of the wipe-on. So, if you follow their directions you would think that there is no real cost difference--per coat--between their full strength and their wipe-on. However, when you use their wipe-on you are only applying 1/2 the film thickness. Of course, this means that the wipe-on will not be a durable as three coats of the full strength. What they didn't tell you is that if you applied six coats of the wipe-on it WOULD be a durable but, you would have used twice as much finish and doubled your cost to do it--and added to Minwax's profit.

    That's the reason I recommend making your own wiping varnish by thinning full strength varnish 50/50 with mineral spirits. You still have to apply twice as many coats but you only are paying half as much for the finish.

    There is much skullduggery in the world of finishes. In the case of Minwax, temper their responce by remembering that it is crafted by the same folks who produce a "Tung Oil Finish" that contains no true tung oil at all.
    Last edited by Howard Acheson; 02-04-2006 at 8:49 PM.
    Howie.........

  8. #8
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    I've used the Minwax wipe-on poly on end tables (aprox 6 coats) and it's held up well. I use coasters when setting drinks on them, but even so I sometimes get liquid on the table due to condensation through the coasters (they're stoneware coasters) especially in the summer plus the occasional clumsy spill. The liquid has never soaked through the finish to the wood. After a wipe off it looks as good as new. Not sure how it would do if a hot pan or plate were set on it though.
    Use the fence Luke

  9. #9
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    Thanks for the feedback guys.

    The furniture that I am finishing is a bedside table that I made of birch and birch plywood. I then applied one coat of mimwax oil-based pre-stain and two coats of Minwax oil-based Colonial Maple.

    Based on the feedback that I recieved here, I then applied 6 coats of Minwax oil-based clear satin Wipe-On Poly and I used fine steel wool after coats 1, 3, and 5. The finish looks and feels really good! I will now leave the furniture for about three days before we use it.
    Last edited by Frank Pellow; 02-04-2006 at 6:29 PM.

  10. #10
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    Howard, Thats really good info. as wipe on poly is expensive, it make sense to make my own, just a couple of questions if you dont mind.

    1. do I make it with any minwax brush on poly or is there something specific I should look for?

    2. can I dilute 25% mineral spirits and get the same finish result in your opinion, that way I'd be putting on more product per coat, or is 50% the way to go.

    thanks for the input!!

  11. #11
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    >> 1. do I make it with any minwax brush on poly or is there something specific I should look for?

    You can use any oil based varnish or poly varnish.

    >> 2. can I dilute 25% mineral spirits and get the same finish result in your opinion, that way I'd be putting on more product per coat, or is 50% the way to go.

    You can dilute it to any extent you want. Most find that the 50/50 is about right giving good coverage and rapid drying. Adding more varnish will make if more difficult to wipe on. I recommend you start with 50/50 and get familier with it before you go changing the mixture.

    As to wiping on, many do not go it right. The wiper should not be wringing wet. Rather is should be damp like the rag used by the kid at Denny's who wipes off your table. Use the same sort of circular motion. If you miss a spot do not go back--you'll get it on the next coat. The surface should not look wet and shiny. If it does, you used too much finish. Just get it on and go away for half an hour.
    Howie.........

  12. #12
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    Howie

    Question? If a wipe on has about half the solids content per unit of volume, and the coats are also thinner, doesn't it take more than two wipe on coats to equal one brushed on coat? I haven't messed with wipe-ons enough to get a good feel with this. Just curious since it seems to me that with wipe-on finishes its not about counting coats, but asking if the coat had achieve the look you were going for.

  13. #13
    I have been mixing my wipe on poly for years and find that there is little difference in the final product if you double the number of coats. I also find that I can get a good glossy finish if I use the glossy type and it is really smooth. Of course I don't always want a glossy finish so I use a different type..
    What you do today determines what you can do tomorrow.

  14. #14
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    Steve, you are undoubtably right. In reality, I generally equate five coats of homemade 50/50 wipe-on varnish with two brushed on coats of 10-15% thinned brushing varnish.

    However, I like to keep things simple for the many new finishers. Five to six coats of wipe-on gives a very nice looking finish. It has a somewhat less build and therefore minimizes the "plastic" look of three coats of non-thinned varnish or poly varnish. Most folks put on too thick a coat when brushing varnishes. The belief that thicker equals better protection is not generally true. Two to three brushed-on coats is more than protective enough for almost all surfaces. Of course, mileage may vary and additional wiped-on coats may be necessary.
    Howie.........

  15. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by Howard Acheson
    Steve, you are undoubtably right. In reality, I generally equate five coats of homemade 50/50 wipe-on varnish with two brushed on coats of 10-15% thinned brushing varnish.

    However, I like to keep things simple for the many new finishers. Five to six coats of wipe-on gives a very nice looking finish. It has a somewhat less build and therefore minimizes the "plastic" look of three coats of non-thinned varnish or poly varnish. Most folks put on too thick a coat when brushing varnishes. The belief that thicker equals better protection is not generally true. Two to three brushed-on coats is more than protective enough for almost all surfaces. Of course, mileage may vary and additional wiped-on coats may be necessary.
    Lots of helpful info on this thread, particularly for a "new finisher" like me (more like "brand new finisher"). But I'm still confused about some things. It seems like it would be less time consuming to just apply 2-3 coats of unthinned finish rather than 5-6 of thinned. Is it an issue of technique, i.e. is it much easier to do a better job wiping on rather than brushing on a finish, so what you lose in the time of doing extra coats is made up for in ease of application or final look? And when you say minimizing the plastic look, I thought the idea was to build up the finish--does it end up looking worse that way?

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