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Thread: Wipe on finishing questions

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Michiana
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    Wipe on finishing questions

    Greetings to all -

    For quite some time, my go to finish (after any stain or dye) has been a penetrating oil followed by wax or shellac and wax. I generally use a couple coats of Watco Danish Oil to pop the grain, with plenty of time allowed for absorption prior to wiping off and a day or so of curing time prior to the next step. I'm down to the bottom of my last can and need to restock. A recent FWW newsletter linked a "finishing shootout" from 2005 that spoke highly of a Minwax wipe on poly. Any users of this product out there? I'm wondering if it penetrates as well as the Danish Oil, or just sits on the surface?
    Sharp solves all manner of problems.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    Kansas City
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    2,645
    I used it once. It is a varnish - a film finish, not an oil so it doesn't penetrate. Nice and glossy, but the coats are very thin and so you need a lot of coats. Consequently it is real easy to sand through layers and it shows*. Hard to correct when you do. Haven't used it since. Almost the whole can evaporated away once opened. That's just my experience, so others may have more success.


    *it doesnt burn into previous layers like shellac, so you will have tell marks if you sand through a layer.
    Last edited by Stan Calow; 01-08-2022 at 11:01 AM.
    < insert spurious quote here >

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
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    Okotoks AB
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    Wipe on poly is a different beast than the wipe on oil finishes. I've not used Minwax, but have used Arm-R-Seal a fair bit. It's and easy finish to apply and you do need more coats than brush on poly, but even 3 or 4 coats provides very good protection.

    If the wood has lots of figure, I still like to do a coat of oil first because it does show of the chatoyancy of the grain better when everything is cured. Some claim it doesn't, but I've done side by side comparisons from the same board & there is definitely a difference. When wet they look about the same, but when cured, the oil retains the look better than poly.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    Wenatchee. Wa
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    767
    Minwax wipe on poly is my go-to finish for all small items needing any protection. And I’ve done many larger projects also. Yes it needs 3or more coats for
    optimun appearance but redcoat time is short compared to most other brands. Wipe on evenly with a quality paper towel and done. Suggest you try it on a few throwaway boards. It might meet your needs as it has mine.

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