# wipe on poly finish issues



## JohnnyTooBad (Dec 9, 2012)

I'm in the process of finishing a new walnut table I'm making. I didn't have a lot of luck with the siphon sprayers I was using, and decided to get an HVLP pressure pot system. It showed up at my door defective, so I had to return it, and have been waiting a few weeks for the replacement. I had previously sprayed 3 coats of oil based satin poly varnish, but kept having to sand them most of the way down due to poor spray jobs. So while I've been waiting for my replacement pressure pot to show up, I put about 4 coats of varnish on, wiping it on with a cotton rag (old white undershirt). I thought that maybe I would have been able to finish the finishing by just doing a lot of coats of wiped on varnish, but I am really dissatisfied with the way it came out.

When the light hits it at a low angle, the sheen isn't consistent and you can see slight streaking in some areas. The first coat I put on, was thinned about 50/50, but then I added more varnish to get it to about 2/3 varnish and 1/3 mineral spirits. Nothing seemed to help. No matter how rich I made the mixture, it seemed to go on very thin and set up very quickly, but the next day (left to dry in a heated tent in the garage), it would show all sorts of inconsistencies.

So what's the theory, skill, magic, etc behind getting a good finish when wiping on an oil based poly?

BTW, the varnish is Sherwin W., and says not to thin, but it's way too thick to wipe on without thinning it. Also, the table is too big to be able to wipe with one motion from end to end.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

I know the concept of wiping finish but I've not actually done it. I have had some issues with the sheen varying caused by thinning varnish. Even sprayed it would be shinier in some places and flat in others. At present I try not to thin varnish at all and have much better results. You might try taking your siphon sprayers apart and give them a thorough cleaning. The guns either need a good cleaning or they are worn out. 

If the uneven sheen isn't too severe you might be able to hand rub out the finish with 0000 steel wool and coupound out. 

If you are going to work the varnish by hand, I would use a very soft natural brush and brush it on. If you apply it thin with a minimum of brushing it should go on very well without the brush marks. When you brush it a lot it introduces air into it and it sets up faster so is less likely to flow out and will leave brush marks.


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## dustmagnet (Jul 12, 2012)

Steve is on the money, one other thing, when applying poly ALWAYS use high-gloss on all coats until the last, then choose your sheen. I myself use high-gloss for every coat, then get the sheen I want with #0000 steel wool. The reason behind this is to keep from "milking" the finish so you don't lose the grain and it doesn't look like plastic.


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## banginonabudget (Feb 25, 2013)

Not only am I relatively new to the forums here, but I am new to the "art" of wipe-on poly. I started using it about a month ago and will never go back to anything else. 

The best advice I have read is to "imagine your wiping your kitchen counter with a damp rag to clean it." I don't remember where I read it unfortunately, but that one line has helped me greatly. You just want to wipe across the wood just to wet the surface. Don't expect to get any build. Multiple light coats is the only way to get any build. Also, it will probably be one of the fastest ways to apply a finish, and dries way faster. 

Never go back over it once you put it down to try and "fix" it. 

Hit it with 0000 steel wool and a tack cloth after every two coats. 

I hope this helped you out as it did for me.


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## JohnnyTooBad (Dec 9, 2012)

banginonabudget said:


> Not only am I relatively new to the forums here, but I am new to the "art" of wipe-on poly. I started using it about a month ago and will never go back to anything else.
> 
> The best advice I have read is to "*imagine your wiping your kitchen counter with a damp rag to clean it*." I don't remember where I read it unfortunately, but that one line has helped me greatly. *You just want to wipe across the wood just to wet the surface.* Don't expect to get any build. Multiple light coats is the only way to get any build. Also, it will probably be one of the fastest ways to apply a finish, and dries way faster.
> 
> ...


Thanks, but you have confused me a bit. The two sentences I have bolded contradict each other. When I clean a kitchen countertop, I scrub it, I don't just get it wet.

Do you pour the varnish on the surface then wipe it, or do you just pour it onto the rag? Do you pour enough to get just one swipe along the length of the wood? Where do you start? If you start at the edge, with a rag full of varnish, don't you get it running down the side of the project piece? If you pour it onto the surface, then you have to start there and wipe it in all directions. Doesn't this leave visible marks from the rag where you start?

I'm wondering if I actually put it on too thin. It would become visibly dry (glossy sheen goes away) in about a minute or two.

I was using 400 grit paper instead of steel wool, between every coat.


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## Tommie Hockett (Aug 26, 2012)

I think what hemeans is just get the entire rag damp with your finish. DAMP being the key word, and then wipe the entire piece and let it dry. Then add more coats using the same method :thumbsup:.


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## banginonabudget (Feb 25, 2013)

Johnny, the method that has worked best for me is to use t-shirt material and pour some directly on the rag then wipe on. I don't soak the whole rag, just get some on there to work with (like a tablespoon amount). I normally start about 3 or 4 inches from the edge of the piece and work back towards the edge. The key is to just "wet" the surface, similar to what Tommy is talking about. Sorry about misleading you, I should have re-read it, ha. I was shooting for more like just wiping the counter down not scrubbing. 

I recently did an interior door in my house and it came out pretty well. By the time I got to the opposite end of the door the poly had already started to visibly dry up. For me, lots of thin coats have done the trick. Like what was told to me, its called wipe on, not rub on or scrub on. 

Hope I cleared myself up a bit there, if not sound off and I'll take another stab at it, Ha.


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## JohnnyTooBad (Dec 9, 2012)

Thanks bangin. I get it now. I appreciate the followup.


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## banginonabudget (Feb 25, 2013)

Not to beat a dead horse, but if it helps illustrate the finished product better check out one of my other posts:

http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f8/surface-planed-white-oak-48991/

It's a test piece I did with dyes and then applied wipe-on poly on top. I attached a photo in my first post.


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## HowardAcheson (Nov 25, 2011)

Are you using a non-gloss finish material? If so, and the streaking is a sort of cloudy gray, you probably have not thoroughly stirred the flatters back into suspension. This is a particular problem with finishes that have been highly thinned. My rule is 100 strokes in one direction followed by 100 strokes in the other keeping the stirrer in contact with the bottom of the can. Re-stir every five minutes during application.

The best applicator for wiping-on are non-embossed paper shop towels. They are much more lint free than any cloth.

Here are the best instructions I know of for making and using a wipe-on finish.

http://www.hardwoodlumberandmore.co...age/tabid/75/ArticleId/5/Wipe-on-Varnish.aspx


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