Applicator for wipe on finish

[Jeremy Killingbeck]

What type of Applicator do you guys use to do a wipe on finish? I like to use an oil urethane topcoat but have not found a good applicator that will not believe went behind. I have tried went freak lots of old T-shirts foam brushes bristle brushes quite a bit and all of them seem to leave some sort of lint. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

[Bill McNiel]

Blue shop towels, folded so the "tear off" seams are hidden.

[Kent A Bathurst]

Blue shop towels, folded so the "tear off" seams are hidden.

Yep. No texture, lint free. I am partial to the Scott brand, the paper towels on a roll. Have a roll mounted on a paper towel holder in the shop.

[ryan paulsen]

X3. Picked up the tip from members here, and it works great.

[Scott Holmes]

Most people fail at wipe-on varnish by trying to leave a smooth even coat. Wipe-on should be applied like the kid wipes the table at the fast food joint. A 3'x4' table top should take a minute or less. You are wanting to get the surface wet; no puddle, no drips, no ridges, or streaks. a quick wipe with a wet but NOT dripping Scott towel is the easiest way to succeed. If it's not dry in an hour or less (excluding Waterlox) you are leaving too much varnish with your application technique.

I too choose "Scott" brand I really like the name:)

[John TenEyck]

Same, Scott blue paper towels work great for me. Lint free, as Kent said. Use whatever technique to apply it works best for you. I can't get a uniform coat using the "like the kid wipes the table at the fast food joint" that others say works well, must just be me. I use even strokes from one end to the other. Put it in quickly but not rushing. Above all, do NOT go back over it after you've got it on and smoothed it out. I get streaks every time if I try to make it perfect. If you put it on with a wet but not dripping paper towel, as Scott said, it will self level in a few minutes, or at least the Arm-R-Seal I normally use will.

John

[Thomas Canfield]

I use Bounty "Select Size" white paper towels and have had good luck, and tear off a smaller section for applying oil finish to turnings.

[Mike Null]

I'm partial to old bed sheets. I believe they are cotton broadcloth and have no lint if they're old enough. It's also what I use for a padding cloth for shellac.

[Prashun Patel]

I use the blue shop towels too, but I don't care if the edges are ragged; they don't need to be hidden. In fact, you can use white regular kitchen paper towels for the first couple coats, which I suggest you flood on, then buff off.

If you apply the subsequent coats as Scott suggests (don't lay down a thick coat; wipe it on so the surface looks slick and even but not glassy) then you won't have a surface that is thick enough to trap dust. Any lint, dust, etc will brush off before the next coat.

[Travis Bochenek]

I just tried these Micro Spun Towels from Rockler on my coffee table build using Arm R Seal.
http://www.rockler.com/micro-spun-towels

I have to say I'm pretty impressed although they are much more expensive than the blue paper towels. They left a very smooth finish. I also used t-shirt rags on a previous build and they also worked very well.

[Kent A Bathurst]

I just tried these Micro Spun Towels from Rockler on my coffee table build using Arm R Seal.
http://www.rockler.com/micro-spun-towels

I have to say I'm pretty impressed although they are much more expensive than the blue paper towels. They left a very smooth finish. I also used t-shirt rags on a previous build and they also worked very well.

THose look pretty neat. Had not seen them.

THo - I gotta say - pitching a paper towel rather than cleaning and washing a specialty item has a big attraction to me........attention span thing, and all that..........

[Steve Schoene]

I doubt you meant to just pitch the paper towels, but this is a good place to emphasize that applicators--cloth or paper towels should not just be tossed because of the very real risk of spontaneous combustion. I spread the towels on a non-flammable surface and let them dry before putting them in the trash.

[Kent A Bathurst]

I doubt you meant to just pitch the paper towels, but this is a good place to emphasize that applicators--cloth or paper towels should not just be tossed because of the very real risk of spontaneous combustion. I spread the towels on a non-flammable surface and let them dry before putting them in the trash.


You are absolutely correct, Steve - should have been more careful with my choice of words. :o Nice save.

Same here - I spread them out flat, let them dry overnight, and THEN I pitch them. Even when the only convenient surface is the driveway outside the shop door.

[Alan Lightstone]

I use the Workforce 55 pack wiping cloths. I get them at HD or Lowes. Can't remember which. Lint free, and work better than the others I've used.

[Steve Baumgartner]

I've used cheap microfiber from Harbor Freight. I cut it up into smaller pieces, which then requires some attention to get rid of crumbs along the cut edges, but it works great.