Where do you guys buy your finishing products? Here in southern california it seems impossible to find wipe on poly in any of the local stores.
-
-
You can make your own wipe on poly by thinning with mineral spirits (paint thinner), or VM&P naptha. It dries faster with naptha. What's cool about your own mix is that you can vary the ratios as you please, and it's less expensive that the pre-packaged stuff.
. -
MinWax wipeon polly should be available at Lowes or HD and it's been rated pretty high in a finishing article I read lately. You can also make your own wipeon polly by thinning regular polly(oil based) with mineral spirits. Probably about 1 to 1 for the first couple of coats and maybe going to a 60/40 or even a 70/30 (polly to thinner) mix for the last couple of coats.
DonHoDonComment
-
I was really pleased with the results of making my own wipe on poly on my last project.
Easy, cheap, worked terrifically, was SOOOOOOOO easy to put on, no bubbles, and dried very quickly.-John
"Look, I can't surrender without orders. I mean they emphasized that to me particularly. I don't know exactly why. The guy said "Blake, never surrender without checking"
-Henry BlakeComment
-
If making your own just remember that the quality of the poly makes all the difference. I was very happy with my wipe on poly mixtures . . . then I tried General Finish Arm-R-Seal. Sold. Will never use another wipe on poly. I have literally used gallons of it. Rockler or rocklerpro.com sells it by the gallon and is much cheaper that way. Rockler has free shipping right now as well. Yes, Arm-R-Seal is more expensive than buying BLO, MS/Naptha and Poly then mixing your own if you are using cheap poly. However, if you are using a higher quality poly the pricing is very similar. Also, you can always thin Arm-R-Seal with Naptha or MS if desired to build thinner coats. I love Arm-R-Seal.
You may be running into issues with wipe on poly due to VOC regulation in CA. Maybe why you are having a hard time finding it.Comment
-
+1 on Jeff's comments, basically. I use General Finishes' Seal-A-Cell for the first coat and Arm-R-Seal for all subsequent ones. Superb results. I typically get mine from Woodcraft.
Forum member Otter introduced me to these products, and I became a convert on my first use. I subsequently learned that this is in fact the "tung oil" finish that David Marks favors on WoodWorks.LarryComment
-
Some great ideas guys. I'll try mixing my own and if that doesn't work I'll check out the gallon of arm r seal. Thanks.
Don Ho - it might be a regional thing but the Lowes and HDs in so cal don't carry wipe on poly anymore. I don't think they carry any oil based products either.Comment
-
You're absolutely correct! Do you have a link to the product you were talking about at Rockler? I couldn't find it on their website. By the way how did you get into the Rocklerpro website. I tried my account number and zip but didn't qualify. I guess I need to subscribe to the pro catalog. Thanks!Comment
-
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?p...l&cookietest=1
Arm-R-Seal, great stuff, I use it for most of my projects.Keith Z. Leonard
Go Steelers!Comment
-
I'll have to try that Arm-R-Seal, but, I tried Rockler's wipe-on-gel on my last cabinet project ( http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?p...226&filter=gel ). I liked it better than my home-brew wipe-on. It's easy to apply, won't spill, dries quickly, takes less coats than thinned out poly, and looks great.
MikeComment
-
Link provided above by drumpriest. Not sure how you qualify for Rocklerpro website, can't remember how I got involved. Arm-R-Seal is $4 per gallon cheaper through Pro site, which is not a huge deal (around 10%). Buying it by the gallon is a lot less expensive than quarts. It has a decent shelf life. Gallons come in plastic jugs, like an antifreeze jug. You can get a lot of the air out of the jug just by squeezing the sides. Likewise you could store in smaller containers to extend shelf life. I have gone through a few gallons this year so I have not had a problem.
On the matter of Seal-A-Cell, another General Finishes product mentioned, here is the low down. Seal-A-Cell is created to use on bare, unfinished woods such as cherry, walnut, etc. It does impart a decent reddish tint so I would not use multiple coats on white oak or maple. However it is beautiful on raw cherry and gives it a nice color without obscuring the grain. Arm-R-Seal, being a oil based poly imparts a yellowish tint once a few coats have been built. Looks nice on white oak, etc. The Seal-A-Cell name is a bit misleading as it is not necessarily a sealer, though it is a much thinner product that Arm-R-Seal and it does seal wood. I guess what I am saying is that it is not necessary or really useful to put Seal-A-Cell on as a first coat, then follow with Arm-R-Seal. Seal-A-Cell is a product meant for unstained raw wood. It creates a nice hand rubbed look. Of course Arm-R-Seal can produce that effect as well. Arm-R-Seal just builds a lot quicker as it is thicker and as such provides better protection. Both are easy to apply, provide good to great protection and are a pleasure to work with.Comment
-
Around here Walmart sells wipe on Minwax poly. It was rated as both the best buy and best product when Fine Woodworking tested wipe-on finishes. I used the Minwax pre-mixed until I tried mixing my own.
I have not tried the General Finishes product and don't plan to. Thinned oil based poly works great and is both very simple and inexpensive. My favorite finish is sprayed Resisthane but when I want a wipe only, I use thinned oil based poly.
JimComment
Comment