I am in Australia so have no direct way of asking questions about this product because it is simply unavailable here and apparently can't be imported or at least through Amazon as they stopped an order and refunded the money. Is it hard to get in the US and has California banned the oil based product? I can get the water based version but the less said about the better after numerous attempts to apply it without application marks and thus my question.
Minwax Oil Based Wipe On Poly
- Thread starter Mini Me
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So far, I can get the oil-based poly (Minwax and Varathane) from Lowes and Home Depot. No problems. And despite the fact that many feel this is an amateurs' product because it is so readily available, I have found it to be an excellent product. Applies easily and looks good. Excellent durability too.
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I have been quite happy with the Minwax oil poly for my finishes. A lot of how well it works and how well the finish comes out has to do with how it is applied , sanded, etc.
Also, as far as I can tell the wipe on is the same as the regular with extra solvent to make it thinner. I get the regular cans, if I need it to be like the wipe on I just add mineral spirits. You can also add mineral spirits to revive the poly (to a point) if it starts to thicken in a partial left over can.
Seth
Also, as far as I can tell the wipe on is the same as the regular with extra solvent to make it thinner. I get the regular cans, if I need it to be like the wipe on I just add mineral spirits. You can also add mineral spirits to revive the poly (to a point) if it starts to thicken in a partial left over can.
Seth
For oak and open-pored wood, I use a "hybrid" approach.
I use a foam brush and flood the surface with the poly (undiluted). After the surface is coated, I take a paper towel and squeeze as much of the finish out of the brush as I can. Then I lightly drag the brush over the surface allowing gravity to apply the pressure. The brush will chatter when it gets most of the excess off. I repeatedly dry the brush with the paper towels and continue the dragging.
This gives the appearance of a wipe-on finish, but in about one-half the number of coats to build coating thickness--For most surfaces it is 2 or 3 coats maximum. For open pore wood, it retains the open pores much like wipe-on does. This will work with oil-based finishes only. The foam brush is good for about 20 minutes of use and then it gets too soft to be useful.
It is a fairly foolproof method. And much faster than wipe-on.
I use a foam brush and flood the surface with the poly (undiluted). After the surface is coated, I take a paper towel and squeeze as much of the finish out of the brush as I can. Then I lightly drag the brush over the surface allowing gravity to apply the pressure. The brush will chatter when it gets most of the excess off. I repeatedly dry the brush with the paper towels and continue the dragging.
This gives the appearance of a wipe-on finish, but in about one-half the number of coats to build coating thickness--For most surfaces it is 2 or 3 coats maximum. For open pore wood, it retains the open pores much like wipe-on does. This will work with oil-based finishes only. The foam brush is good for about 20 minutes of use and then it gets too soft to be useful.
It is a fairly foolproof method. And much faster than wipe-on.
SRSemenza said:
Plus one on this method. I often start undiluted if dealing with large open grain pores to get some build and then hit with maybe 220 or 320 grit to flatten inevitable brush marks and dust in finish followed by progressively higher dilutions wiped on. Usually scuff sand between coats. This is fairly tedious but results are excellent.
My only fail has been when the paint store was out of regular mineral spirits and sold me a faster evaporating solvent which reduced work time to point that finish turned out streaky. Smelly too!
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Vtshopdog said:
Hah, especially since one of the reasons to add solvent is to slow down the drying time.
I have had that problem with some of the new super fast drying paints. Great for painting walls. Not so great on furniture or built-ins.
Seth
jaguar36
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I've had good results with the wipe on, and like others I started jsut diluting the regular stuff instead of using the wipe on as its alot cheaper.
However I've since switched to spraying Target's water based, and have found it to be much better overall.
However I've since switched to spraying Target's water based, and have found it to be much better overall.
Birdhunter
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The Minwax Wipe-On is my favorite finish. I use it on everything, but stick to thin applications. If I “gunk on” too much at one time, it takes forever to dry and I get streaks. Very thin coats produce an excellent finish.
Peter Kelly
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https://www.feastwatson.com.au/products/indoor-products/furniture-maintenance/wipe-on-poly/Mini Me said:
Essentially the same product, available at Bunnings.
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