doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com OT-wood finish

I to have used the wipe on poly from Minwax. I mixed the satin and gloss 50-50 and got a semi-gloss finish on a Walnut bed.

Regards, Gordon

Chuck,
Waterlox would be my choice, it is a very reliable, easily applied tung oil-based varnish. Not inexpensive but in at least 40 years of using their products on just about everything from boats to floors and furniture I have not had a failure. I can highly recommend this product for your doors which will get frequent use and need touch-up periodically. The finish is "in" the wood.

It is a concoction of "polymerised tung oil, ester gum, polymerised linseed oil, and a high ratio of phenolic resin" which allow for a high-build, tough, surface film. Repair is easy: sand out the damage and recoat! Waterlox is an excellent choice for your doors as it will give the qualities you are looking for , a tough highly scuff resistant finish with a satin sheen without the plastic look of polyurethane.

FYI. Doors need to be sealed and finished on six (6) sides to avoid problems down the road. A quart of their Original Satin will be enough to do the job.

Good luck.


https://www.waterlox.com/Portals/Documents/0a70f60c-5ba1-43d2-a33e-257a149476cf.pdf

Wipe on poly works fine from the can but it is a soft finish. Cut regular poly 20% with mineral spirits and use it just like wipe on poly that Minwax makes.
bill

Rockdoc, check with Jamestown Distributors for boatbuilding and finishing supplies. They are the Grainger of boats, and will probably steer you toward the West System epoxy if you want to do things right. Their catalog (free) is a great source of info and they have discussion groups and tech tips on their website. Since you are going to cover the plywood with carpet (I think), another less expensive alternative to West System epoxy would be Liquid Wood from Abatron. Thin it and flood the plywood surface, brush off any excess before it cures, then do it again. If you can get it onto the edges of the plywood, that's even better. This stuff will wick into any gaps or joints and waterproof them, but it will also wick into places where you might not want it, so use some masking tape and proceed carefully. I use a lot of the Abatron products on old house restoration projects, and the Liquid Wood is like magic for the right applications.

Minwax Wipe On Poly is not water based. In the August 2005 issue of Fine Woodworking magazine, 17 different commercial wipe on finishes were tested for water resistance, penetration, dry time, etc. Minwax Wipe On Poly was selected as the best performer and the best value. I have used it for the sanded-in stock finish method many times and it is my favorite.

OB

I just shopped for the Wipe-on poly. It does indeed come in water-based and oil-based formulaes.

Chuck, stick with the oil base, it is a much harder finish.

Jim

Got it. Wanted to try the Waterlox but couldn't find any around here. I'll have to look a bit for that.

I used the oil based MinWax Wipe-On Poly yesterday for the first time. I have to say I was very please with this finish. I have only one coat on an oak door, but this finish seems to be very applicable to gun finishing for those that like the old style oil finishing look and technique of application. The material is very low viscosity (thin) and soaks in quickly. I'm definitely going to give it a try on my next stock finish job. Given the consistancy, quick drying, modern poly resins, and quick drying of this finish, I think Jim may be onto something here. (I recall Jim being a proponent of this finish for at least a couple years now.)

"Chuck, stick with the oil base, it is a much harder finish.
Jim"

Jim, That's where you are wrong, the water based is harder than the oil based, only the water evaporates.

Also if you want a harder finish use gloss first then satin.