jwavem said:
I just read the article in August Fine WoodWorking about wipe on finishes hoping to learn something I could apply to my woodturnings. They rated Minwax Wipe-On Poly best overall and best value. Has anyone used this Minwax product? What were your results? I can't help but think money spent on advertising with FWW influenced this article.
Did the eight-hundred-pound gorilla of the wood finish industry corrupt the evaluator and publisher? Conspiracy theories are sure abundant. Ask yourself if your favorite flavor had been favored, would you say the same?
Anyway, thinned oil-based polyurethane is between the high-test and the Danish oil in solids content, and conforms pretty much to what you'd expect from it. It is thinned well enough to sink into the pores of the wood, but probably not as far as a Danish oil, and it will build a finish on the surface once it's grounded, but not as fast as a high-test varnish.
Advantage to thinning is rag application ( or paper towel, as I use ) is possible, and good leveling of the finish can take place. Disadvantage is that the finish sometimes levels itself into a gummy button inside the bottom of a bowl if too carelessly applied. Sure does make a nice finish, though, if you favor surface finishes.
I don't use the satin, because satin varnishes are a little softer than their gloss brothers due to the light-scattering additives. If I want to dull the look into the wood, I run a quick random-direction or circular buff with Tripoli to have the surface scatter some light. Use of a high-molecular weight wax will also take the edge off the gloss.
Two coats, with any glossy areas removed by plastic wool buffs are my idea of good salad bowl preparation. Something to limit the penetration of the oils, and a bit of water rejection too, without the full surface finish that would look terrible with scratching.