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Fast drying polyurethane

Started by ohsoloco, April 30, 2007, 08:00:12 PM

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ohsoloco

I just picked up a can of Minwax Fast Drying Poly the other day to finish a bed I've been building for the last year  ::)  So, is that stuff just thinned down polyurethane  ???  I used to mix my poly about 50/50 or 60/40 with mineral spirits for the first coat or two, but this stuff is just too thin.  I gave it just an ounce or two of mineral spirits, but I probably shouldn't have used any at all.  I gave it a nice first coat, but now that it's dried there are so many places where the poly got completely sucked into the wood that it looks like I missed half of the bed  :-\ 

metalspinner

I still mix that stuff down 50/50 and treat it like an oil...just keep wiping it on until it won't soak up anymore.  Then wipe it down to remove drips and such.  Repeat several times.  The built up finish has never appealed to me, but the really thin poly IMHO looks just right.
I do what the little voices in my wife's head tell me to do.

Sprucegum

I don't know about the exact product you are using but I would do just like Metal said - no worries about bubbles or runs then.

ohsoloco

Yeah, I guess wiping it on may work a little better in this case...I brushed it on.  I'm just hesitant to wipe on a satin poly b/c a few years ago I finished a cherry hutch with 50/50 poly, and when it dried I could see a slight haze of where the cloth swipes were.

Sprucegum

If you thin a satin poly the particles that make it satin will not go on evenly and you will get that haze in spots  :(

Just make sure you have good lint-free cloth and you'll do fine.

low_48

I like to put on the thin poly in a similar way to french polish. I make a ball of cotton material, usually old t-shirt, about the size of a golf ball or a little bigger. I then wrap it with another piece of t-shirt. I open up the outer piece and get the ball pretty wet. Wrap the outer cover back on and twist it closed on the top. Tap and flatten the ball against a piece of scrap. Now start wiping. The ball acts like a reservoir to hold poly. Just keep adding to the ball and keep wiping. Twist the cover to squeeze the ball and let more poly out. I also always sand with 320 grits between coats. Don't over-wipe it, keep a good wet coat on it and let it flow out.

WDH

I use the minwax fast drying satin poly right out of the can.  Fine Woodworking did a review on finishes a while back and this product was a top performer.  I apply it with a foam brush right out of the can.  Dip the foam brush up to the end of the bevel.  Pull it across the wood slow and steady and don't over work it!  It flows out super smooth.  Let dry, then buff with 0000 steel wool.  Then re-apply another coat.  For best results, buff with steel wool and put on a third coat.

If you pull the foam brush slowly, it will lay the poly down such that one stroke will do it.  Then re-dip, and slightly overlap with the next stroke.  You will like it :).   
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

Dodgy Loner

I'm not the best finisher in the world, but I would take WDH's advice.  I've seen his woodwork, and the finishes are flawless! 8)
"There is hardly anything in the world that some man cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper, and the people who consider price only are this man's lawful prey." -John Ruskin

Any idiot can write a woodworking blog. Here's mine.

ohsoloco

WDH, thanks for the advice about the foam brushes  :)  The first two coats I put on with a bristle brush, and ended up cutting a lot of built up poly off of the undersides of the pieces with a utility knife blade  :( The foam brush put the poly down much smoother, I used less product, and therefore had less drips and puddles  ;)

Do you rub out the final coat with anything?  This is the third coat, but I'm typically not satisfied with the final coat as it is, but I'm always afraid of messing it up and having to re-apply a fourth. 

metalspinner

After sanding down my third coat, I usually spray it down with a can of aerosol poly.  This lets me get into the tricky spots with out causing anymore troubles.  You need the cans with the spray tip that sprays flat.  That gives you a nice even flow out of the can.
I do what the little voices in my wife's head tell me to do.

WDH

Once you at your last coat, rub it out very lightly with 0000 steel wool.  Lightly is the operative word here.  Then, rub it down with some paste wax.  I have successfully used the spray poly like metalspinner mentioned, but only on small pieces.
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

solodan

I would do a wash coat first with dewaxed shellac, using the french polishing technique low_48 mentions. This will seal the wood and can be sanded in about an hour. It is the best sanding sealer in my opinion. Then you can apply poly over this, but make sure the shellac is dewaxed. Poly will not adhere to regugar shellac with wax. I like using paste wax as a top coat as well. :)

ohsoloco

That last coat turned out better than I thought, so I may just leave well enough alone  ;)  I'll take some pictures once I deliver the bed  :)

WDH

Looking forward to the pics :D.
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

ohsoloco

It was a little over a year ago this woman first talked to me about building a bed for her.  Got around to measuring for it and getting some details from her back in July or August.  Worked on it some back in the fall, and it sat most of the winter while I spent my time cutting firewood and procrastinating.  Got the bug again and finished the construction, then put it off again for a while cuz I don't care for the sanding part too much  ::)  It finally warmed up enough that I could put the finish on it (I work in the basement and I wanted to be able to keep the house opened up), and I worked for a while this morning and afternoon getting the rails to snug up real good, and cut the slats and supports for the box spring.  Now I can't wait to get it delivered  :D

The headboard had more curl pop and I expected when I applied the poly.  Hopefully it shows up in the pics. 

metalspinner

ohsoloco,
You sound like me with your work habits. :D  Maybe we are long lost brothers or something. :D
I do what the little voices in my wife's head tell me to do.

ohsoloco

I make sure to warn them how long it takes me to get something done.  The last thing I built was a coffee table, and the woman was thrilled that I had it done in six months  :D  Of course, I have several other projects I've started and not finished since starting the bed  :-\

WDH

Don't be so recalcitrant with the pics ;D.
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

jpgreen

Just this week I tried some Minwax wipe on Poly in a natural satin on some snag pine wood with light brown heart I milled for window sils and it came out beautiful.  Didn't darken the pine hardly at all, and is perfect for what I needed. I've been looking for a finish like this for some time..  8)
-95 Wood-Mizer LT40HD 27 Hp Kawasaki water cooled engine-

WDH

The Minwax stuff is really good.
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

ohsoloco

I really like using that fast drying stuff now, applying it how WDH described.  Well, I have to finish some white pine paneling in the house, so I went to pick some up at Lowes yesterday.  Does that stuff only come in quarts  ???  The only gallon pails of poly were the "high build" ones.  Bought one of those...I'll probably have to thin it down  ::)

BTW, I took some pics of the bed when I delivered it, but the bedroom was so small I didn't get very good shots  :-\  I also need to get them on another computer to resize/compress them, and post them. 

WDH

I wasn't going to aggravate you anymore about the pics... ::).
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

ohsoloco

Yeah, I figured you gave up on them, but I haven't yet  :D

WDH

Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

ohsoloco

The last time you got on me about posting the pics I had to visit dictionary.com  :D

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