Wipe-on Poly???

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MAB11

MAB11

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Wichita, KS
I was thinking about trying a wipe-on polyurethane finish, and then I thought I should check here first. (for pros/cons) Thanks in advance for any feedback.
 
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Nothing wrong with using poly at all. Alot of people do the dip method. Poly holds up very well. As with any finish though it can be prone to chipping if hit or dropped. Poly is a product of a layered finish so there is no" burn-in" properties such as you get with lacquers so remember that when doing multiple coats.
 
That is the finish Les prefers. He's even done a pdf tutorial on it.
While it takes a little longer to get the layers on and dried, I think it is well worth it.


Scott (and no CA fumes too) B
 
I started out using wipe-on poly before learning CA. I like the look. The drawbacks are the time it takes to build up the finish. Also, the oily woods are a PITA. Sometimes the finish doesn't work on them.
 
W.O.P is a nice finish, it just takes a long time, Several excellent pen turners on the Australian board and on woodworking friends group use it and get fantastic finishes. Check out Les Elms PDF on it,
 
It will work just fine. It was the finish I resorted to when CA/BLO and I had a "Time out Period". I found that standard "fast drying" poly worked just as well with fewer coats. Still used a rag for it, too.
 
bitshird said:
W.O.P is a nice finish, it just takes a long time, Several excellent pen turners on the Australian board and on woodworking friends group use it and get fantastic finishes. Check out Les Elms PDF on it,
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Actually if that is the one I'm thinking of , Les is using the "Fast dry Poly" finish . The difference is in the thickness of the coating . WOP is a thinned version of the Fast dry poly and requires more coats to get the same coverage . I love the fast dry poly finish on flat work and on pens but the time it takes to FULLY cure is a killer . If you air dry it , it takes several hours between coats (6 coats) and then requires several weeks to FULLY cure . If you force dry it you only need to wait an hour between coats but it still takes a week or more to fully cure . While the WOP air dries a little quicker it takes several more coats and will still take a long time to fully cure .

Fully cured = All layers (coats) hardened . Until it is fully cured it is still soft and can be damaged rather easily . Once it is fully cured it almost takes a hammer to damage it .
 
I've been wondering about water based poly. You could use a sealer coat of shellac, and then follow up with a few coats of water based. That would work well, I think. You wouldn't want it for a thick coat, but if you want a thin but durable finish, I think that would work. I want to try it, that's for sure.
 
In the not-too-distant future, I'm going to try Minwax Polycrylic (the stuff in the aerosol can). I'll let you know what happens.
 
MAB11 said:
I was thinking about trying a wipe-on polyurethane finish, and then I thought I should check here first. (for pros/cons) Thanks in advance for any feedback.
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Pros: Easier to control
Cons: Time. if you aren't doing them in batches it might not be worth it. It takes a loongg time.

Still hard to refute Les's results!
 
maxwell_smart007 said:
How do you rush the finish curing, Butch? Heat gun?

If you've seen Les' finishes, I think the shine is at least as brilliant as a CA finish...Les in Red Deere's finishes are dazzling!
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I love it as a finish but hate how long it takes to fully cure . I speed up the time between coats by putting it in my wood drying / post curing kiln that I built . It keeps the blanks at a constant 125 degrees and the poly is dry to the touch in about an hour , ready for recoating . When I put the final coat I either wait at least 2 weeks or more before I assemble the pen or I use the kiln and that time is cut in half for a fully cured finish . Still a week is a long time to wait to finish a pen so I normally do a CA finish , the only time I use it anymore is when I have a pen I can't CA due to shapes , like window pens and multi level segmenting .
 
One thing I will say for poly, it is practically bomb proof once fully cured out. Heat and lack of humidity can indeed speed up the process but to what detriment, I do not know. I am not an organic chemist ;-) I do know that depending on conditions 2 - 4 weeks for a full cure is not that unusual. Fast drying is probably quicker. YMMV.

Doug
 
I use both oil based and water based poly (not on the same pen). The oil base imparts a slight darkening so when I turn a light wood like maple I use the water based. On both, I first put a couple of coats of dewaxed shellac. The water poly builds pretty quick and dries pretty quick.
 
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