Thinning poly

[Gfretwell]

What do you guys use to thin polyurethane?

[David Binkowski]

Mineral spirits.

[2manytoyz]

That's what I use. Use it sparingly!!! Doesn't take much to get it flowing without becoming runny.

[Gfretwell]

Thanks

[B a r r y B u r k e J r .]

Do you have oil or water based poly? What does the can say to thin it with?

Barry

[George]

Unless it's water-based!

[Mike G]

For any finish, whatever the directions say to use for clean up can be used for a thinner.

[Theo]

Tue, Sep 30, 2003, 10:55am (EDT+4) Keep_it_in_the_newsgroup [e-mail] (B=A0a=A0r=A0r=A0y=A0B=A0u=A0r=A0k=A0e=A0J=A0r=A0.) asks: What does the can say to thin it with?

He asked here, so apparently he didn't read the label.

No prob tho, he got an answer, it's either mineral spirits or water. I just wonder if he'll complain, if he uses the wrong one.

JOAT If history repeats itself, I should think we can expect the same thing again.

- Terry Venables

Life just ain't life without good music. - JOAT Web Page Update 30 Sep 2003. Some tunes I like.

[Philip Edward Lewis]

except soap of course.... ;)

What mike is saying is that most all finishes are carried by a solvent. Often that same solvant is used as at least part of clean up.

Is some cases that solvent is water, others a petroleum derivitive, still others an alcohol. (This covers nearly all... i don't personally know (or i can't think of any) that are not one of these three...)

good luck.

[Mike G]

A good synopsis but you have to be careful with that word solvent.

For shellac and lacquer their thinner is alcohol and lacquer thinner respectively. They are also solvents for those finishes. That is, they will soften and or dissolve the finish.

The thinner for varnish is mineral spirits/paint thinner. However mineral spirits/paint thinner is not a solvent for varnish. It will have no effect on a cured finish.

Thinner for most water based products is, duh, water. But it is never a solvent for a cured water based finish.

For those trying spraying for the first time the above is especially important.

Let your gun sit too long with shellac or lacquer in it and you can always get it clean by spraying the appropriate solvent/thinner through it. Let a varnish sit too long and cure in the gun and you have trouble in river city. You'll have to get out the dental picks and pray you don't mess up the needle/nozzle and or internal parts of the gun. There is no solvent for varnish unless you consider extremely harsh strippers a solvent. I don't and I also would not think of spraying that stuff out into the air, it's nasty.

[Philip Edward Lewis]

doh.... yup.... i guess a better word would have been carrier or vehicle.

Apologies for the confusion.

[Young Carpenter]

good point