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Wipe on poly

Joined
Aug 21, 2011
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kentucky
Trying to get a high gloss finish on a dyed maple bowl, using WOP,(first time using)
Got on 5 coats with sanding between coats, was trying to make the last couple the final coat but had imperfections so I sanded again
for the final coat, how to keep wiping streaks from showing?
 
Joined
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5 coats with sanding between coats is probably 5 coats short of what you will need. One or two coats of dewaxed shellac to start with will reduce the number of coats. Wiping marks means you are wiping it too much, or from going around the work and coming back to the area where it is starting to tack. I like to apply the WOP with a small cotton rag pad, and do it as fast as I can. I put on the best light even coat I can, then stay off it. In my opinion, Minwax reduced the viscosity of their fast dry polyurethane and I no longer use the WOP. I just use the fast dry straight out of the can. About half as many coats needs to be applied.
 
Joined
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I have pretty good luck with a gloss finish with 5+ coats of WOP if I do a Beall buff about a week after the last coat. I can get a pretty nice shine without the buff but there is always a few wiping marks or something to make me wish it were better. More coats just seems to chase the problem around the piece. But buffing usually makes a nice, uniform shine.
 
Joined
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5 coats with sanding between coats is probably 5 coats short of what you will need. One or two coats of dewaxed shellac to start with will reduce the number of coats. Wiping marks means you are wiping it too much, or from going around the work and coming back to the area where it is starting to tack. I like to apply the WOP with a small cotton rag pad, and do it as fast as I can. I put on the best light even coat I can, then stay off it. In my opinion, Minwax reduced the viscosity of their fast dry polyurethane and I no longer use the WOP. I just use the fast dry straight out of the can. About half as many coats needs to be applied.
They didn’t really reduce the viscosity they changed the carrier. Wop use to be 70 percent mineral spirits which is derived from petroleum.
It is now 70 percent light aliphatic hydrocarbons which is derived from natural gas. Cheaper! And as I can see will flash off quicker. I have some safety data sheets from 2009 and if you look up today’s sheets you will see the change.

mix up some yourself. Using old formula.
 
Joined
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Four things: 1. I usually buy regular poly and thin it myself with mineral spirits. I can minimize wiping marks (and runs) by adding thinner. 2. I wet sand with wet/dry SiC paper to remove wiping marks, dust nibs, etc. Usually 400 grit but have also used 320 or even 240. I do not sand after every coat but after about three coats depending on how thick the coat was. (see #4 below) 3. Buffing is great and can take a dull, sanded poly up to a high gloss. 3. There is a school of thought that you should wipe on the poly, and then wipe it off until nearly dry. Some people use the term "scrubbing." This always seemed counter-intuitive to me and forces a very slow build up of the finish. But I must say it does seem to minimize wiping marks, dust nibs etc. As long as the finish is thin enough. This might work as your final coat but I still recommend buffing. 5. Ok five things. Some woods require many more coats than others. Maple requires less than many others. I find walnut to be particularly troublesome. Some pieces are fine but others have patches that absorb more finish than other areas
 
Joined
Jan 22, 2018
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I use blue shop towels(paper towels) and you wipe it on in one pass and don't touch it again. If you miss a spot, do not wipe over it again, just get it on the next coat. Wiping it on is kind of an incorrect term for how I apply it. I fold the towel, wet it with finish an drag the towel across the item letting the poly flow from the towel to the piece. Never use any hand pressure to actually wipe it.

I also don't use wipe on poly, you are just paying for extra solvent. Buy the fast drying poly and dilute to your desired level, much cheaper!
 
Joined
Aug 21, 2011
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kentucky
Thanks for the help, I am probably over wiping, I'll try one more light coat and if it doesn't turn out , I'll try buffing
I have used lacquer on several pieces, just wanted to try something different, the way this one is going, maybe should have stayed with lacquer.:)
 
Joined
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They didn’t really reduce the viscosity they changed the carrier. Wop use to be 70 percent mineral spirits which is derived from petroleum.
It is now 70 percent light aliphatic hydrocarbons which is derived from natural gas. Cheaper! And as I can see will flash off quicker. I have some safety data sheets from 2009 and if you look up today’s sheets you will see the change.

mix up some yourself. Using old formula.
I didn't mean they changed the viscosity of WOP, I meant they changed the viscosity of their regular poly. I stopped using WOP because their regular poly is much thinner than it used to be.
 
Joined
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Thanks for the help, I am probably over wiping, I'll try one more light coat and if it doesn't turn out , I'll try buffing
I have used lacquer on several pieces, just wanted to try something different, the way this one is going, maybe should have stayed with lacquer.:)
Don't be in a hurry to hit the Beal Buff. Poly takes a long time to cure. I'd wait at least a week as a minimum.
 

john lucas

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If your getting streaks your poly is old. I seldom make it through a whole can before it starts to go bad. A fresh canned goes on water smooth. Still it's a very thin finish and may need many coats to. Fill the pores of some woods to get a glass like gloss. On mynornaments I put on maybe 2 layers and then buff them the same day. I get a real nice natural looking gloss.
 
Joined
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Lebanon, Missouri
For hi gloss, which also needs all pores filled, I use spray lacquer. For small stuff like ornaments I also use CA glue. I use a lot of wipe on poly, thinned from regular can, for semi gloss or satin finish. Poly is a pita to get a fully filled hi gloss finish.

Working with poly, Regardless of the final sheen desired, its best to start with a couple of wipe on/off coats to seal the wood. Apply wipe on viscosity poly by flooding it on, let the wood absorb all it will. Keep wiping it around and adding poly for 10 min or more. Now wipe it all off. Let sit for 2-3 hrs min for all solvents to evaporate, then do another coat. Really porous wood may take 1-2 more coats. Then apply film thickness build coats. With the wood sealed these will apply much more evenly with the wood sealed. Shellac can be used as the wood sealer as well, but I dont like to use it that way. Shellac has a very short open time and needs to be sprayed to prevent lap marks. Using the poly as described is just simpler.
 
Joined
Jan 3, 2012
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New City, NY
A little off-topic, but I have been using flooring water-based poly on my pieces diluted 50-50. I rub on with a lint-free cloth and immediately rub it off with a clean cloth. No runs, no drips and no errors! You can apply coats every few hours and the water base poly that I use is almost clear. It will take 5 -10 coats before you can Bealle it to a gloss. I am a fan of this method for this type of finish.
 
Joined
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Using the Minwax WOP it took me a while to figure out a good technique. I think the key there is "less is more".
I use blue shop towels cut in quarters to apply. If/when it hints at getting goopy or gets any crap on the towel, toss it. For the first coat I wet the towel a bit more so it soaks into the surface but never leave enough on the surface to see any streaks or anything. The key for me is to only ever leave the surface wetted.
First application I always leave to dry for a full day before the next coat. After that I do a coat in the morning and a coat in the evening. l don't sand between every coat. Usually I do 3 or 4 coats before knocking off any roughness.
 
Joined
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A little off-topic, but I have been using flooring water-based poly on my pieces diluted 50-50. I rub on with a lint-free cloth and immediately rub it off with a clean cloth. No runs, no drips and no errors! You can apply coats every few hours and the water base poly that I use is almost clear. It will take 5 -10 coats before you can Bealle it to a gloss. I am a fan of this method for this type of finish.
Brand? Sounds like an alternative finish. TIA.
 
Joined
Jan 22, 2018
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For anybody who routinely has poly or other oil based finishes go bad, give Stop-Loss bags a try. Ive got some gloss poly and some home-made danish oil that ive had in bags for over a year and its still as fresh as the day the can was open.
 
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