Minwax wipe-on poly

[bob]

Has anyone here tried this stuff on cherry? Good results?

[Mike]

I've just recently used it on a bookshelf made from poplar - I was very happy with the results. It took a few more coats than brushing on poly, but much easier - no worries about runs, drips, brush marks, etc...

I can't imagine that using it on cherry would be any different.

[RonB]

Not on cherry yet. I have used it on top of Minwax stain on Oak, Walnut and Maple with very nice results. I have also applied it to seal up Baltic Birch plywood with good results.

It takes longer to build up than brushed poly. If you are used to brushing two coats of poly, plan on about four coats of the wiping poly. Good news is that it drys fairly quickly (2-3 hours in low humidity). Otherwise pretty much the same process as brush or spray. I usually apply a couple of light coats without sanding and then sand lightly between coats. The wiping pretty well does away with bubble, streak and sag problems; but you still have to knock some dust loose.

All experince is with the semi-gloss. However if you want to add slightly more gloss on the last coat or two, try not shaking the can and pour lightly. It keeps the dulling agent from suspending and (I think) it adds a little gloss.

Good Luck RonB

[bob]

Thanks. Looking back through usenet archives, there seems to be the suggestion that it contains oil as well, but there is no mention of this on the Minwax website. I was planning to oil the cherry first, but if the stuff already has oil in it, I can skip the step. I'll prolly just buy some and do a few tests.

[Toller]

I have used it many times; works fine. No oil, just dilute poly with some additives (at least I think it has additives, since it works better than poly I have diluted myself.) I often oil the whole piece and then put poly on the top surface.

Use gloss finish. You can then dull it down with fine steelwool if you want.

[RonB]

Without looking at the can I do believe it contains some Linseed Oil. I have used quite a bit of danish and tung oil over the years and the wiping poly applies pretty much the same way. However, you usually don't have to worry about it drying.

RonB

[Stoutman]

YES! I used it on a cherry dining table with excellent results. You can see it here:

finished the finish with 4F pumice.

[mac davis]

I've used it on cherry bowls and liked the result.... more "hand rubbed" look and less like plastic coated..

It darkens the cherry a bit, but most folks like that and season it to make it darker.. Mac

[bob]

Thanks for the replies. What I've ended up using is Deftoil tung-poly finish, and the results on the cherry are absolutely stunning. I also did a little ad hoc experiment on the weekend. I applied several differnet oils (tung, tung-poly, linseed, tung-teak) to a bunch of different pieces of cherry I'm using for the kitchen island. There was a slab of cherry veneer 3/4 ply, 1/4 ply, and a couple of solid planks of sapwood and heartwood. I applied the same set of oils to each board, and left them out in the sun all day, each one half covered. The results were quite striking, even for just one day of sunlight. I may post photos when I get a chance. I knew the bare wood would darken, but was more curious to see how the oiled parts darkened. People often don't want to "wait" for cherry, but really, you don't have to wait long.