Wipe On Poly

[Don L Johnson]

What are your preferred methods on using wipe on poly on a larger surface like a table top? Thanks

[Julian Wong]

my prefered method is to use a small piece of cotton cloth (an old t-shirt will do), fold it several times, then wrap it neatly with cheesecloth.

The cotton will act as a reservior while the cheesecloth will smooth the finish.

[John Thompson]

First.. I would only use poly on kitchen or bath furniture. First coat wiped on with folded cotton t-shirt cut 70%-30 with 30% being mineral spirits. Sanded well with 220 grit as this should only fill the pores IMO. The 2nd coat cut 60%-40% with MS. sanded lightly to give an even coat. 3rd.. 4th.. 5th.. etc. coats cut 50%-50% and sanded extremely lightly with 400 grit wet-dry with MS as the lubricant.

I allow all coats to dry at least 8-12 hours before sanding and the final coat is applied. Once the final sanding is complete on the final coat, I allow a week to two to cure before the piece is put into use.

Did I mention I hate poly... :)

Sarge..

[Joe Chritz]

I am not a fan of poly but use other wipe on finishes occasionally.

Fortunately or unfortunately depending on how you look at it I go through a lot of white T-shirts in the summer time so I always have a supply of them. That is about all I have ever used. With the exception of padding shellac (which is another animal all together) the varnish finishes give you plenty of time to work.

Joe

[Matt Meiser]

I've had good luck on smaller projects just using Scotts Shop Rags that come in a yellow box at Lowes. They are basically heavy paper towels but seem to be lint-free. I pour the poly in a flat container, fold the rag up so there aren't any edges to shed fibers and dunk and wipe. You get a better finish if you keep moving and don't rewipe areas much from my experience.

[John Keeton]

I would have to agree that there are several finishes that do more for a piece of wood, but I use Minwax wipe on satin poly a lot. In fact, FWW gave it a very good rating on all counts as a protective finish and for value spent. I use it full strength with cheesecloth, sand lightly and apply a second coat. Rarely do I need to use a third coat. It give a very smooth finish and durable. I agree you need to wipe it on quickly and not "play" in it as it sets in short order.

[Russ Filtz]

I use some poly in my witch'es brew of tung oil (or BLO), mineral spirits, and poly. I rub in many coats, starting with just tung and MS. As I go I add a little poly to the mix and keep rubbing it in, scuffing/sanding between coats lightly. My maximum poly in the mix is probably 1/3. This way the poly doesn't build that much, but you still get some protection and some shine from it, but maintain that close to the wood look. If you really need more protection, you can always finish with more poly thinned or not. With my highly thinned route, you rub it in good without needing to worry about going back over sections. Takes a few coating sessions though!

[Victor Stearns]

The best method or material that I use is old nylons discarded from the loml. I have also been known to visit the local Walmart and purchase 10-20 pairs of the larger nylons, of course the cheap ones. I then cut these up into smaller pieces to use. I just throw them away after they are dried.
They leave a very smooth finish.

[bob bronner]

I have had good results with wipe on poly. I use minwax satin or gloss and love how easy it is. I also found that if you spray it on with a windex type spray bottle, it is easier to apply.

Always sand between coats with 4oo or similar and do at least 3-4 coats for good protection.

Good luck

[Howard Acheson]

Here is the process used by many. I've taught it for years and it works fine.

Here is something that should help. A friend of mine put it together years ago and it has worked well for many.

QUOTE

There are a number of suggested application regimens that are totally subjective. The number of coats in a given day, the % of cut on various coats, which coat to sand after, when to use the blade and a whole host of other practices are all minor differences between finishers. There are some things that I consider sacred when applying a wipe-on finish.

First, you can use any full strength oil based clear finish. Polyurethane varnish or non-poly varnish is fine.

If you are making your own wipe-on the mix is scientific - thin. I suggest 50/50 with mineral spirits because it is easier to type than any other ratio and easy to remember. Some finish formulators have jumped on the bandwagon and you can now get "wipe on" finish pre-mixed. If you use a pre-mixed, thinning is generally not neccessary. But making your own is cheaper and you know what's in it.

The number of coats in a given day is not important. Important is to apply a wet coat with an applicator and merely get it on. Think of a 16 year old kid working as a busboy at Denny's you have sent over to wipe off a table. Sort of swirl the the material on like you would if you were applying a paste wax. Don't attempt straight strokes. The applicator should be wet but not soaked. The applicator can be a paper towel, half a T-shirt sleeve or that one sock left after a load of washing. Then leave it alone. The surface should not be glossy or wet looking. If you have missed a spot, ignore it - you will get it on the next coat. If you try and fix a missed spot you will leave a mark in the finish.

Timing for a second coat involves the pinkie test. Touch the surface with your pinkie. If nothing comes off you are ready for another coat. If was tacky 5 minutes ago but not now, apply your next coat just as you applied the previous coat. Remember, you are wet wiping not flooding. After applying the second coat, let it fully dry for 48 hours. Using 320 paper and a sanding block ligthtly sand the surface flat. Now, begin applying more coats. Do not sand between coats unless you have allowed more than 24 hours to elapse since the prior coat. The number of coats is not critical - there is no critical or right number to apply. For those who need a rule, four more coats on non-critical surfaces or six more coats on surfaces that will get abraded seems to work.

After your last coat has dried at least over night you will have boogers in the surface. You should not have marks in the surface because you ignored application flaws. You may have dust, lint and, if you live in Texas, bug legs. Use a utility knife blade at this point. Hold it between your thumb and forefinger, near the vertical, and gently scrape the surface. Gentle is the important word - no harder than you would scrape your face. If you start scraping aggressively you will leave small cut marks in the surface. After you have scraped to the baby butt stage gently abrade the surface with 320 dry paper or a gray ScotchBrite. Clean off the surface. Now, leave the area for two hours and change your clothes. Apply your last coat with a bit more care than the previous coats and walk away.

An anal person is going to have a tough time with this process. Missed spots have to be ignored. Wet wipe, don't flood. Scraping to babies butt smooth means scraping no harder than scraping a babies butt. Ignoring any of these will leave marks that are tough to get out. Getting these marks out requires some agressive sanding to flatten out the surface and starting over.

Jim Kull

END QUOTE

Finally, It works better to use a gloss varnish for all coats except the last. The flatteners in semi-gloss and satin tend to rapidly fall out of suspension when the finish is highly thinned. If you want a non-gloss finish, use it only on the final coat or two and be sure to stir the material frequently or you will end up with cloudy streaks.