Favorite wipe-on poly recipe

[JimD]

I have only recently tried wipe-on poly and have been pleased with the ease of application and the results. I've been using Minwax after reading in FWW that it was the best in their tests. It seems a bit pricey, however with a pint going for around $7. It seems like its just really thin poly and I'm pretty sure I've read you guys talking about making your own. Please share your favorite recipe.

Jim

[Scottydont]

Depending on the project (and my patience) 3 parts oil based poly, 2 parts mineral spirits or 50/50.

[Tom Miller]

I would have said 50:50, but in reality I guess I mix it more like Scott's first recipe -- a little heavy on the poly. I switched to naptha recently hoping it would dry sooner than MS, but it's not clear that it's faster.

Regards,
Tom

[Ken Massingale]

Usually 50/50 poly/spirits. Occassionally I add a 'tad' of pure Tung Oil for certain projects. Not too much, it delays the drying.
ken

[Ken Weaver]

You guys have any luck with the "out-of-the-can" stuff like Minwax?

[onedash]

You guys have any luck with the "out-of-the-can" stuff like Minwax?

Yes Its all I use any more. Minwax satin. Love it.

[softop41]

Poly

MinWax poly straight out of the can is all I use. I know others here cut it with mineral spirits/naptha but I haven't been brave enough to try it yet
YMMV
Jerry

[Ken Massingale]

You guys have any luck with the "out-of-the-can" stuff like Minwax?

Used to, but it's the same a regular poly thinned with spirits. And, lots more $$$.

[WayneJ]

When you find something good, stick with it. Minwax right from the can(wipe on) satin. Don't need Murphy stopping by.
Wayne

[gerti]

Slightly unrelated: For small projects I really like Rockler's Gel Polyurethane. Wipe on, then wipe off. Leaves a real fine coat that doesn't have much of the usual PU plastic-like look.

[Whit]

Wipe on poly mix

I use Minwax and mineral spirits,50/50. I would not reccomend using naptha because it has a lower flash point(more flamable therefore more dangerous). After using the satin this way, I had streaks due to the flattening agent not being mixed up good, so after that I only use the gloss. If you do not want the gloss, the shine can be taken off with some steel wool.
Whit

[Jeffrey Schronce]

I use Minwax and mineral spirits,50/50. I would not reccomend using naptha because it has a lower flash point(more flamable therefore more dangerous). After using the satin this way, I had streaks due to the flattening agent not being mixed up good, so after that I only use the gloss. If you do not want the gloss, the shine can be taken off with some steel wool.
Whit

I really like Naptha as it is a quicker drying solvent. One could certainly always use mineral spirits instead. As far as the satin issues, I think the problem may have been that you generally don't want to build coats of satin poly, rather you build multiple coats of gloss and then a final coat of satin. This gives your project finish a great depth, without the gloss. You can take the shine off a gloss finish with steel wool, but the gloss can be easily restored when the end user adds Pledge, etc. Building a gloss finish, then adding last satin, matte, or what ever less glossy coat as a last coat is the recommended way of finishing.

Here is some info on poly, naptha and tung that I copied from one of my other posts, which applied to a specific question about an oak project :

Using a nice hard wood like red oak I would stick with a basic oil based Minwax stain. I have used Minwax Golden Oak to a point I am very tired of it and now find myself adding a layer of Cherrywood Gel stain to give it a little more flavor.
As for finish, the wipe of poly you picked is just fine. You will find that Matte or Semi Gloss is more forgiving than Gloss, but wipe on is pretty easy no matter the luster.
After you burn through that little can of wipe on poly you will want to start making your own. It is much, much cheaper and you can determine the characteristics you want in the finish.
Get a gallon of poly, gallon of Naptha, and a gallon of boiled linseed oil.
You can mix these to meet a lot of your finishing needs:
Use the Poly straight out of the can. - Slow Drying applied by brush.
Mix Poly and Naptha 50/50 for a decent quick drying wipe on.
Mix Poly, Naptha and Linseed Oil 40/40/20 for nice luster wipe on poly.
Naptha can be used for brush cleaning or other clean up.
Mix Poly and Naptha 25/75 for a good sanding sealer.
Use boiled linseed oil straight on a highly figured wood that doesnt need a lot of water/alchol protection.
Wipe Naptha directly onto unfinished wood to show any potential problems in sanding, absorbtion, etc.
Use 90% naptha and 10% linseed oil as a wipe on pre-stain finish to eleminate blotches.

Good beginner finish is also Shellac. If you buy shellac in the stores remember you will need to add Denatured Alcohol to get the appropriate "Cut" of shellac. Check out shellac.net for more info.

Final suggestion is get Great Wood Finishes by Jeff Jewit book from Amazon (or see if it is in your local library). Once you are getting along well but still making a few mistakes that you can't quite seem to get right, then get Understanding Wood Finishing by Bob Flexner.