Who else (lese) here (That has used more that 3 type of finishes) thinks that Wipe On Poly is the BEST????
I think Poly sucks myself and try to stay away from using it….
But the Editors of FWW think it is the best wipe on there is????
I thought they might know more about woodworking than I but I guess not……
To run a test with pure Poly or thinned so much you can wipe it against mixtures and Pure Oils that you can thin out to make it blow wipe on poly off the list EDITORS CHOICE just makes me know they know Nothing about finishing wood or even woodworking at all to put this on the cover no less make me made…
I hope next month they poll the there best contributors and as them what they think the best wipe on is and list it the results……………
I myself do not spend my spare time making furniture to use Poly like a PLASTIC coated piece of wood, I can go to any furniture store buy a cheap piece of furniture with a cheap finish on and save time and money..
Please let me know if POLY RULES in your shop as a Furniture Finish…….
Edited 6/20/2005 4:02 am ET by rarebear
Replies
Rarebear,
Your message is somewhat incoherent, to say the least. And for someone who has only joined the forum This Very Day you seem to be cutting up pretty rough- almost as rough as a bear's @ss , as they say....
As for wipe on poly, since arriving in this country I have been trying out all sorts of finishes apart from catlacquer, and I think for the right applications that wipe on is SMOOTH.
First - it was designated 'Authors Choice' and not Editor's Choice, so it's just one person's opinion (and obviously not your's).
Second - Not all Wipe-On Poly was chosen as Author's choice. The Watco WOP for example, didn't fare so well.
Third - The Minwax WOP out of the can requires no additional thinning. It's specifically intended for wipe on use (hence the name) and already thinned for that use. This alone makes me wonder if you have tried it or are just basing your opinion on pre-concieved opinions based on using some other poly.
I've personally used the Minwax WOP (more than once) the author chose and have had very good results with it and wouldn't hesitate to use it again. IMHO there's nothing plasticky looking about it. I've also used tung oil finishes, danish oils, shellac, water-based poly, and lacquer. Of that bunch, the only one I wont use again is the WB poly - that one to me did look plasticky.
I also have an unopened can of Tried & True I bought after reading several glowing comments from users. Since buying, I've read an equal number of comments from folks about the same curing problem the author noted so now I'm wondering if I ever want to open the can and use it on a project. So if it's a choice between using something that will cure vs using something that won't - poly will rule in my shop.
Waddaya mean it wont fit through the door?
One more time....in English this time, with comma's and periods and sentance structure edit. Please check post # 24212.24.....Yes I am in the market for a glass home.
Edited 6/20/2005 4:52 pm ET by Peter36
"One more time....in English this time, with comma's and periods and sentance structure"
What a curious post. For your information the plural does not require an apostrophe (comma's) [sic] as you've used the word .
'Sentance' [sic] should be spelled "sentence."
Thanks for the best laugh I've had in a while. Please don't edit your original post. It's priceless - a post with two glaring errors yet admonishing another poster to write 'in English' - simply priceless.
In the market for a glass house, Pete?
Edited 6/20/2005 9:41 am ET by cstan
I don't intend this to be a "pile on" but your recent post demonstrates your profound lack of understanding for a medium that is used by many craftsman to provide beautiful finishes that can range from the most subtle hand-rubbed "old world" appearance to something you can spill acid on and will survive a frat party. I would suggest that you spend a few hours reviewing the Finishing Archives for various threads dedicated to wipe-on oil/poly finishes and then actually try some of them before venturing an opinion.
Doug
I don't know what level of experience you bring to woodworking, but nearly everyone who has spent more than five minutes in the field knows there are lots of different techniques and approaches that can lead to the same end.
And that is especially true in the finishing process, where individual taste reigns supreme.
Minick would be the very first to say that if a poly finish looks like plastic to you, use something else.
Knots is all about sharing information and individual experiences -- done hopefully in a civil fashion. But every once and awhile, some overbearing soul enters the fray and declares that his/her machine choice or finishing process is absolutely the best -- and anyone who thinks otherwise is an idiot.
Then a lot of us jump on the poster, and we have a thread like this one.
I am a lot more interested in why you think poly has a plastic look about it, and what you use instead.
********************************************************
"I tend to live in the past because most of my life is there."
-- Herb Caen (1916-1997)
poly has a plastic look ..
Sometimes it can but NOT always!
I do not use Poly all the time but then again I do not use oils all the time either..
Now if I could get oils to dry as fast a Poly.. WOW.. I'd be happy!
I agree with you. The "plastic" look of poly varnish is most often a result of applying too thick a coat. I have sample boards of poly varnish and three standard varnishes. One side is two brushed on coats of each finish. The second side is four wiped on coats of each thinned 50/50 with mineral spirits. I see not reason to ever purchase a ready mixed wiping varnish. It's like buying watered down Jack Daniels and paying more for the privilege. Mix your own and you know what you are using.
I doubt most would be able to tell which is the poly varnish.
BTW, ALL varnishes contain a "plastic" these days. Phenolic and alkyd resin used in standard varnishes are both "plastics".
I am not a fan of "polyeverythane" but it does have a place where the situation warrants. Personally, I like the look and handling of non-poly varnishes better particularly when higher film thickness is required.
Howie.........
Edited 6/19/2005 2:28 pm ET by Howie
Its nice to see one soul that agrees kind of with me..
Can anyone post any FWW articals where anyone who wrote one of the Complete Illustrated Guides says the Poly is there choice for Fruniture???
Simple Boxes or a Tool Boxes or Tool Cabinet Garden Bench..
On the odrer of what the author says he used it on dinning room fruniture.. I might use it on a kitchen table or work cart but the way I see FWW making this the cover story they might as well say Editors Choice...
I would how if he does any more write ups he use the EXACT list he used for this artical................................
I also think he should use the the instruction on the can or simple shop knowledge like thin materials when 15% of the woodworkers who really know what there doing do..
Or I hope he does a artical on Pre Catalized Lacquer and trys to spry it with out thinning , But I guess thats why Jeff Jewett sells so many books ..
And I am sorry for those who cant read my english this is as good as I can do.. I would suggest you as for a refund from your school if you cant understand the drift of what I am says.. I when to a techinical HS and english was not big there..
Pre Catalized Lacquer .. Sure wish they hade that when I sprayed my old 1949 Merk' with 20 coats back in 1955...
Howie,
You say that you do not like preblended wipe on poly's. I certainly understand that from an economics point of view. However, I have found that Minwax's premixed wipe on does seem to dry faster than those that I have mixed myself using Minwax's poly. (I think that they must use some "hotter" solvents.) That can be an advantage sometimes.
Also for Howie... I have tried General's Arm R Seal recently. Do you like that or does your previous opinion apply to all premixed wipe ons regardless of brand?
To everyone including the original poster... I do like wipe on poly's and use it often. I am not set up for spraying, so lacquer is not ideal. (I know there are brushing lacquers but I have not tried them yet. Sometimes you need to use what you are used to.) I like shellac, but if the project will see water or alcohol (bar or bathroom vanity), it is not ideal. With full strenth poly or varnish, one must be concerned with particulate matter landing in it before it dries and/or brush marks. Danish oils and the like look great at first, but need to be renewed to continue to look great. Plus, they don't offer as much protection as the film forming finishes.
Wipe on polys offer good protection. They are somewhat foolproof to use. They go on fairly fast. They dry quickly. Your final look can have a tremendous variety depending on quantity of coats and sheen. For me, it is often the best choice. If I had a dedicated finishing room with a spray set up, or if my projects would be subject to less abuse, etc., I am sure my response to this thread would be different.
Cheers
Kyle
Edited 6/19/2005 5:08 pm ET by Kyle
Edited 6/19/2005 11:46 pm ET by Kyle
Kyle ,
Just keep adding thinner like Mineral sprits or Naptha till it drys as fast as you like to make your own wipe on .. Now you have wipe on and brush on all in the same can and its cheaper..
nikkiwood <!---->
___________________________
You Say:"some overbearing soul enters the fray and declares that his/her machine choice or finishing process is absolutely the best -- and anyone who thinks otherwise is an idiot."
____________________________
That is how I feel about the Author and the Editors of FWW people I thought knew better agaree.. The whole test I feel is skewed to meet the authors opinion..
True Oils Drys slow and the slower something drys the deeper it sinks into a surface.. and old rule for BLO on tools is "once a day for a week, once a week for a month, once a month for a year and once a year for life.."
I failed to see where they listed what finish looks best on the wood, what addes the most warmth and beauty not that that seems to matter to most of you, Drying time is what matters!
I can't see how someone compairs a Oil against something with 50-60% thinners in it and them score the faster dryer higher????
Maybe next month they can fine some other things that is like comparing apples to oranges ..
I know lets compare every type of of finish made.. IE: Poly, Varnish, Shellac, Lacquer, Ture Oils and come up with whats best! Any they can pick Poly again cause its cheap , fast and easy..
So if poly is so good well the BEST from what I read in FWW! why do the Masters almost never use it on most of there fruniture ??????
Edited 6/19/2005 7:35 pm ET by rarebear
Hey, nice to see you over here from WoodNet! That scrub plane you hooked me up w/ works pretty nice (just needs to see more use, but that's my fault!).Back to the original subject... if you don't agree w/ using poly on 'fine furniture'... that's up to you, but generally lambasting the authors and editors is done down the the 'Feedback on FWW' forum a little lower down on the left... :D Are you tellin' me this is the first time you've read an article in a magazine (even a cover article) and not agreed w/ it? Is there something else significant here why the big hue and cry over the promotion of poly? In the past they've promoted lacquer, shellac, etc. etc. so it's not exactly like the magazine is committing itself heart and soul to the future of poly. Even if you take the tack that as 'Fine' Wood Working they should be a little more discriminating than to recommend poly as a finish... the argument could be made about what exactly is 'fine' woodworking... some people do it w/ power tools, others w/ hand tools, and you have people on both sides of *that* fence that deride the other... If you don't want to use poly, don't. Does it really have to get any more complicated than that? :DHalf the time when I see a magazine (any venue; I see it a lot in gun/shooting-sports related stuff) run an article that could be considered 'controversial' I am almost to the point where I think they do it just to get people stirred up and writing, so that it shows that people do actually read the articles w/ interest... probably helps sell ad space :(
milanuk <!---->
First time I remember seeing a one-sided artical on a rag I respected..
Its my first time here posting I was lucky to find what I wanted under the Title KNOTS??? Is that as in HEADS heheheI still have not figured how they got the name..
Dave <!---->
What finishing products company spends the most money on advestising at out all of those tested??????????????????????????
Can you say MinWax????????
If I did a test I would not compare TURE OIL to MIXTURES To VARNISH or POLY Why did he not incluse FRENCH POLISH??????????
IMHO the test us UNFAIRLY rigged.. blind, one sided test, and it seems all of you are to BLIND to my point of view...
You want me to list the BEST Product...
The best True Oil The best Danish OilThe best Varnish Or the best Poly Varnish????????????
I use BLO then shellac and finish with lacquer but I would NOT compare each of what the author did againist each other and say this Brand Name is best!!!!!!!! I might list what is good and bad with each of them as each have there own uses and if you not adding Warmth and Beauty of finish as something to test for, I see it as a test to say MinWax spend some money here.. A fair test would be list all Danish Oils againist each other and all the wipe on polys againist each other..
But he left out French Polish as it is a Wipe-On also, but that might be beyond his skill range of testing..
But PLEASE anyone.........
Point out a artical where a Master Woodworker say use Wipe on Poly for a dinning room SET not table the fruniture part of the set.........
Dont be shy, please prove me WRONG.......... I just dont remember a master using Poly on quality fruniture like a dinning room set..
I am just upset that a rag called FINE Woodworking is telling the best finish for a dinning room set is Wipe On Poly.......
Thats not my idea of FINE
I am sorry if you all disagree with me but this is my point of view.......
Edited 6/19/2005 10:44 pm ET by rarebear
Edited 6/19/2005 10:46 pm ET by rarebear
Edited 6/19/2005 10:51 pm ET by rarebear
I'd like to say this has been interesting or informative or something, but it hasn't- Hope you find what you're looking for- Bye-
Milanuk:This rarebear does not sound like the Rarebear from Woodnet, and is almost certainly not the same person.
Well, he writes about as well as the one I know :)Some people get along well in all sets, some don't. IIRC, there was a 'rarebear' that didn't exactly hit it off over on WoodCentral... maybe there is a clone or someone bent on character assassination... or maybe he just doesn't play nicely outside the Handtool foorum on WoodNet.No big deal to me. If it turns out as a big throw-down... not my problem.Later,Monte
I am the one and only rarebear just seems everyone wants to call me names and make attacks tell me I cant spell or write..
But I see ANYONE posting any FWW articals to prove me wrong that Poly is a FINE wood finish and is the Best wiping on finish..........
If you read this month Gallery you will see 50+% use Danish Oil on the fruniture listed in the gallery, but the editors choose this artical as the cover story and delcair WOP is the BEST
PLEASE I am begging all you smart folks want to attack me cause you are wrong just show me a artical by a Master Woodworkers that uses POLY not even wipe on Poly Iwill settle for any Poly to finish his FINE Woodworking IE: Fruniture....
At woodnet I get a PM at least once a week by some members wanting me or they say they will attack someone cause they disagreed with what I say and many think I am correct most of the time..
But I let the facts do my talking, I will not attack you speeling or point out your bad puncuation or make snide comments abuot you nice friendly folks.. I guess I should have been more calm when I first posted, but I did not.. So please post a woodworking artical you guys all think your some smart and witty.. Get off your butts and prove the hayseed wrong and show that wipe on ploy really is a FINE Woodworking Finish fit for dinning room fruniture .......................................................................................
DOUG
You wrote" don't intend this to be a "pile on" but your recent post demonstrates your profound lack of understanding for a medium that is used by many craftsman to provide beautiful finishes that can range from the most subtle hand-rubbed "old world" appearance to something you can spill acid on and will survive a frat party. I would suggest that you spend a few hours reviewing the Finishing Archives for various threads dedicated to wipe-on oil/poly finishes and then actually try some of them before venturing an opinion."
How about you spend some time in the arcives of FWW and find where a Master Woodworkers use POLY???????????
mookaroid <!----> ,
I asked a few question mispelled a word or two and said I THINK Poly Sucks.........So you say I am cutting up as rough as a Bears @ss???????
What part was cutting up????????? and I guess to say something sucks to up front for you Sir????????????
If I was cutting up I would say 95% of you all act like a bunch of babies all wanting to gang up on the new guy cause he said SUCKS.. Also he disagrees with The Forum Gods FWW so we should put him to death
Lets pretend we are know it all about everything and if you all stick together and gang up on this guy and insult this guy and try to demean him cause this is our turf and WHO the hell is he to say something like SUCKS in our forum anyway we can make our selfs out to look like we really know something about something..
Thats what I call cutting up...
OH in the HF HVLP Gun Thread a guy or two there said HF sucks and everything they sell to, so you might want to go post that he is as rough as a bears @ss there also hehehe
Edited 6/20/2005 4:08 am ET by rarebear
Edited 6/20/2005 4:25 am ET by rarebear
Edited 6/20/2005 4:26 am ET by rarebear
Please list all faults known to you concerning the wipe on poly finish.
Thankyou Rarebear.
It's not your spelling that's the problem -- it's the obnoxious tone. But I personally don't mind the ranting; it's a little like sending in the clown to amuse the patrons and liven up the discussion. So have at it........................********************************************************
"I tend to live in the past because most of my life is there."
-- Herb Caen (1916-1997)
Nikkiwood,You do know that "sending in the clowns" is a way to distract the audience when a trapeze artist falls and breaks their neck... <ouch>Mark
Measure it with a micrometer, mark it with chalk, cut it with an ax.
UGH....... didn't think of that. Been a long time since I've been to the circus. But the clowns, jerks, and jesters do liven up things around here -- where some of us take ourselves too seriously, and discussions often drift into the dull-as-dishwater variety.********************************************************
"I tend to live in the past because most of my life is there."
-- Herb Caen (1916-1997)
PLEASE I am begging all you smart folks want to attack me cause you are wrong just show me a artical by a Master Woodworkers that uses POLY not even wipe on Poly Iwill settle for any Poly to finish his FINE Woodworking IE: Fruniture....
Define master.
But I do beleive Sam Maloof uses a mix of BLO, Tung Oil and POLY in his finish, If I'm wrong please correct, also as does David Marks (sp?).
But what type of finish is a matter of choice, yours and or your clients. If you had a commision and your client thought that poly looked good would you refuse?
Also "french polish" is a technique not a specific type of finish material, but you knew this of course.
"...we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor."
Rarebear:Sorry to have mistaken you for someone other than yourself. This forum does seem to enjoy arguing. I was a little surprised by the article as well, since the author's opinion differs quite a bit from that of most FWW authors. However, he explained how he was ranking the finishes so that you could do exactly as you have done: look at the reasons for his choice and decide that they don't apply to you. His measurements are reported, so you can see how the finishes compare, and make your own conclusions. If he had simply ranked finishes without explaining why, that I agree would have been outrageous. But I thought the article was reasonable as it was. Aging of finish is important, but not likely to be possible in a review of so many products. Actually comparing colors is useful, but the color of the liquid may not tell you too much, since they are diluted to different extents, color changes of wood depend on more than the color of the finish, and of course the color of all will change over time, dependent on wood, exposure, and other factors. Rather than a whole page taken up by photos of bottles of finish, it would have been preferable if no more than half the page were used this way, with the other half devoted to photos of similar wood samples finished with each wipe-on product. What wood is chosen would affect which looked best, and while you need to stop adding samples somewhere, I think the article stopped too soon.My biggest problem was with the suggestion that "grain popping" ability of the finish is well represented by the capillary tube penetration test. That seems unlikely to me, and if true, worthy of more study. I would have thought that a certain amount of penetration is needed for luster, but beyond where it's visible would be useless. Clarity, index of refraction (of the cured finish, not the liquid) and some surface compatibility properties would seem important. The capillary test measures some combination of viscosity, density, and glass surface interaction energy of the liquid, which seems to be a very limited proxy for the way the wood will look.
Edited 6/20/2005 1:00 pm ET by AlanS
This thread is stranger than surreal. Every finish has its place. Slainte.RJFurniture
Every finish has its place.
I suppose if it exists it does have a place.
I would probably use this stuff on game room furniture - card tables and coffee tables in a 'relaxed' setting. This stuff works great on tables where you might throw a greasy pizza box down and tell the kids to have at the contents.
I learned the hard way not to use it even for that... As a rookie I soaked up Norm like a sponge... Poly = bullet-proof right....?? Well... bullets or not, SWMBO managed to find a way... Ya know them plug-in air fresheners?? (I know... contradiction in terms) she left one o the bloody things laying on a corner unit... for weeks... it leaked... poly died an 'orrible death...
Thesedays I prefer a finish I can maintain easily... Mike Wallace
Stay safe....Have fun
Don't doubt it. It is still a finish that goes great with a Naugahyde sectional.
Edited 6/21/2005 9:41 am ET by cstan
It does Charles. Ideal for greasy pizzas and other areas where coffee, booze, snotty kids, etc., might be present.
Shellac on the other hand really has no place around coffee tables and the like. Slainte.RJFurniture
"...........This thread is stranger than surreal. Every finish has its place. Slainte.
RJFurniture ........"
That is a totally reasonable statement- What's it doing in this thread?
Every finish has its start.
Thanks for saying that, Richard.Leon Jester
>> You say that you do not like preblended wipe on poly's.
It's not so much that I don't like them--from a performance standpoint--it's just I see no point in not mixing my own. It's quick and I can control what type of product I use. For example, for standard varnishes I use naphtha as my thinner. Naphtha will give you a faster flash off (tack free) so you can get to the next coat sooner. However, I have found that using naphtha with some of the "fast dry" polys currently on the market that it flashes off so fast that you can not get a good coverage and flow out. For these "fast dry" products, I use mineral spirits.
What many forget it that once the thinner evaporates, you are left with a standard varnish. It's just only half as thick in film thickness. I like the look of certain varnishes so I like to thin my own varnish so I end up with the look I want.
I have not used Arm R Seal for years. But, there is no proprietary magic to finishes. It's pretty low tech stuff. I can't imagine that General Finishes has come up with something really special.
I have not received my copy of FWW yet so I can't comment on the article. However, if they were negative on T&T, I would agree with that. It's more of a marketing ploy than a unique product. When it's all said and done, T&T is just linseed oil with all the negatives associated with that as a finish--from a performance point again. It's no more "non-toxic" than any other current consumer finish, for example.Howie.........
Good advice on the Naptha, I'll try that. I agree that making your own finish is pretty cool. If I'm finishing maple, I'll use more tung oil. If I'm finishing cherry, I'll use more BLO in the mix. Coffee table, use more spar varnish. Bed, use less spar varnish. Nothing magic.
As for tried & true, I think you get a better finish using the second step of the maloof formula - 1/2 BLO, 1/2 tung and a bunch of shredded beeswax melted over a double boiler. When it cools, it's kind of like a jelly. I've been using it to revitallize my kitchen cabinets. Works better than using a paste wax, and it smells good. Only takes 4 days to cure, instead of 40.
-Matt
I agree with Howie, I would have liked to see one or two "home brews" added to the mix. The one that was "least expensive" was %5.95 a quart. With a quart of thinner running $.50 to $2 + a quart of varnish gives you two quarts of wipe-on finish. FWIW, the finish is often the least expensive component of any project, considering wood, time, hardware, tooling, etc.
How is the old quote worded?
"It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt."
-Jazzdogg-
Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you're right.
Heh, heh, heh, "You only are reputed wise for saying nothing."
So don't use poly already- Or learn how to use it- Or just make peace with the fact that a lot of us find it a useful alternative under certain circumstances- Or publish the results of your own meticulously recorded comparison tests- Or go under cover and reveal the insidious nature of FWW's evil plot (dare I say conspiracy?) to promote an undeserving wipe-on. I'd settle for your own substantiated claims as to the best product-
Hah, in spite of your apparent anger and ranting I agree with you-wipe on Poly is an awful finish. It comes in last after hand rubbed oil, Livos/Maldos, conversion varnish and others. I hate the way it looks and performs........ Thanks. Aloha, Mike
I never really liked finishing projects until I started using a Polyurethane Gel. I have found that I get excellent results using a Polyurethane Gel made buy Lawrence-McFadden. (http://www.lawrence-mcfadden.com/polygel.php). You can buy it online.
You can also find this Poly Gel at Rockler's, but it is under the Rockler name and they don't carry all the colors you can find at the website I gave above.
I use a paper towel to apply it. No brush strokes to worry about or bristles falling from the brush to mesh up the finish and no brush to clean. I usually apply three coats. It has the consistency of Vaseline. It has a very low oder and dries fairly quick so you can apply at least two coats in a day. Most times I don't even have to sand between coats. To me the finish looks as good as an oil finish. No plastic look to the finish because the coats go on thin. I use it to finish red oak and cherry. I have even applied it over some book cases that I made back in 1980 that were originally finished in Watco oil. I have found that it works really good when the wood is first sealed with a sanding sealer.
Edited 6/20/2005 2:48 am ET by hermitmither
Edited 6/20/2005 2:53 am ET by hermitmither
I use a paper towel to apply it.. Damn... I love cheep brushes....
I'm with rarebear on this one. If I were to respectfully point out my problem with the article, it was the missing piece: how does the wood look in 1 year / 5 years with each type of finish? What are the benefits / drawbacks of each. I thought the article was a bit of a one size fits all approach to finishing.
Coming to Tried and True's rescue...Yes, the finish is an absolute PITA if you are in a hurry. Yes, it does take between a month and two months to cure. It turns maple yellow. The water protection is nill. Don't use it on a dining room table. However, for items in cherry that never see water (read: picture frames, beds, boxes, music stands) you can't beat the look and the feel. It lets the wood darken with age, and the wood feels soft. When the wood gets thirsty in a year, give it another coat. The finish is non-toxic, and actually smells good (if I'm not careful, my dog will lick the furniture before it cures).
That said, I just finished a maple bookcase with the maloof BLO/tung oil/varnish mixture, and I love it. I'll post pictures soon.
BTW, the master craftsman, Norm, finishes all of his pieces with Minwax WOP.
-Matt
I agree with Toolwonk about the article missing a listing of benefits and drawbacks of each finish, but I did like that the author tried to be scientific about it--especially water resistence, color, solids, etc. I thought an overall rating system inclusing many factors would have been helpful too--ease of application, durability, water resistence, beauty (perhaps including whether it enhances grain, lack of "plastic look", etc.). BTW, I think wipe-on, by being thin, is less likely to have a plastic look.
Danno,
"BTW, I think wipe-on, by being thin, is less likely to have a plastic look."Comparing the same level of build-up, I would say it has a slightly less plasticy look to it. I finished a coffee table with gloss Minwax Wipe-On Poly, and I put 15 coats of it. It had that rather thick look, as you would expect, but not so much as 5 coats of brush-on.
The article drew a Nice contrast for me by forcing me to re-asses the finishes I have been using. Early on in woodworking I used tung oil exclusively, and got great results as far as ease of application and streak free finishing. But found the long term durability to be less than great. Finishing is the least enjoyable aspect of furniture making for me, so I don't want to have to refinish anything. So perhaps I will try a wiping finish that is a mixture of tung and something else, perhaps getting the best of both worlds. For a long time I used Sutherland-Wells Polymerized tung oil. No complaints, it worked very well, but is it ever expensive. So I'm going to give the Wipe on Poly a chance on my next small project as well as investigate a few of the others as well.
rarebear,
I really like Minwax Wipe-On Poly. It goes on so smoothly and evenly, and it is easy to use. The only drawback is that you have to build coats very slowly. It takes about 10 coats of the wipe-on to match 3 coats of brush-on. But the evenness and ease makes up for it.
One thing the article did not mention that I think is important is finishing vertical surfaces. Wipe-on poly is excellent for this application. Because you are only laying down thin coats, it does not run and stays even on vertical surfaces.
I agree with the test results for Tried and True. I used the stuff once and will never touch it again, ever. It stays wet way too long, and is too sticky and thick to apply.
That's my vote.
Every Finish Has its Place...
Sitting here with my coffee reminds me of the time not too long ago when I used Tried & True finish, and spreading it out on the table surface I observed that it has a rich smell, almost sweet, with a thick consistency that would cling to a spoon, kind of like honey, which I often put into my morning beverage (tea, usually, not coffee), which brings to mind the marketing for Tried & True, in which the makers say that it is all natural, contains no poisons or other substances that would be harmful to your health, much the way that my friend, who owns an herbarium, always talks about new oils that are good for you and another friend of mine who has researched drinking snake venom and claims it is the elixir of the future, all of which causes me to wonder whether Tried & True, in small dosages, although not great for wood surfaces, could have a beneficial health effect?
Edited 6/22/2005 6:01 am ET by Matthew Schenker
I use O/V as a wipe on finish, but it's more of a bias than from years of experience trying different finishes.
I thought Chris' article in the new FWW showed a practical and scientific approach to evaluating different finishes. As a scientist trained in setting up experients, I cannot fault his method: he measured the right things (dry time, glossiness, hardness, etc.) and did it in a way that would mimic actual use.
It's results were a surprise.
That said, I'm still enough of an old fool and will stick to my old methods and familiar materials. The article failed to interest me in using the Minwax product, but I can't fault the work he did.
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