2 questions

[Kim]

Can anyone tell me if a wipe on polyurethane will give a nice finish to cherry wood? Will it give a little shine, or does wiping it on dull the shine.

and

Does Watco Danish oil dry completely? I've read somewhere that heat can bring the oil back to the surface. Is that true?

Thanks,
Kim

[Marsha]

Hi Kim, the only way to answer your question is to show you a piece. The butterfly box is made completely from Cherry, the card box is a poplar body with a cherry lid, both were finished with wipe on poly. Remember there are different wipe on poly's, gloss, satin and matte. I used gloss.
Cherry boxes 1.jpg
I personally think wipe on poly is a great, easy finish. I also think any finish on cherrry would look terrific, cherry is a beautiful wood.

I've never used danish oil so I can't comment about it.

Marsha

[ncsealeveler]

A good question as I have only sprayed cherry.I will keep watching for answers.Tony

[sawdustus]

Kim, I usually use Minwax Gloss Polyurethane or shellac to finish projects. As Marsha said, it also comes in semi-gloss and matte. All give a beautiful finish to cherry as well as walnut and all other woods. I use Watco Danish Oil to dip standup puzzle pieces because it does not build up a film on the insides of the cuts. As far as I can tell, the Watco Danish Oil dries completely. The only caveat is that if you keep opening and closing the can, and keep it for more than a year or so, it will evaporate some of the volatiles and it then takes a long time to dry.

For all finishes, try to put them on when it is over 65 F. and preferabley on a not too humid day, as low temperatures and high humidity slow down the drying time.

george

[georgewoodie]

Kim:

I use wipe on polyurethane all the time.

Based on an article in Fine Woodworking, I dilute regular polyurethane [oil base] with 10% solvent. I open a litre can and put all the diluted contents into smaller 250 ml jars, each one full. That way I only open part of that litre at a time and avoid oxidation.

I use a cloth folded into a small tab, then tied with string as my wiping tool.

When I wipe the finish on, I only 'wet' the wiper and apply to only get a sheen, very light coat. Often I will apply 4 or more coats with a day between for drying.

No runs and no problems.

Woodie

[Woodworking Plus]

Hi Kim
I use wipe on poly all the time on most of the furniture that I make and use spray on satin poly on my intarsia pieces. I apply the wipe on with a rolled up piece of soft flannel rag to prevent bubbles, allow to dry then sand between coats with 320 grit sand paper.Before I apply the final of 4 coats I use 0000 steel wool to buff out the finish. This adds a beautiful luster. When I use the spray on poly on my intarsia I apply from all directions making sure that all areas are covered evenly. I usually apply 4 coats.

[Bill Wilson]

Hi Kim,

You can achieve the same finish wiping on polyurethane as brushing or spraying. It's the same product, only thinned. Wiping it on will take more applications to get the same amount of build to the finish as say a brushed finish, but ultimately you can end up with the same amount of shine.

Here is a link to an excellent article on wiping varnish. Hope it helps.

Thinning & Using Poly with Howard Acheson

[wood-n-things]

Bill I like that article thanks for sharing.

[Anneh]

Thanks for sharing that article. It helps a lot but I have another question, please. I've been using Bartley's Wipe-on-gel varnish. Is that adequate to leave it after three or four coats or do I still need to put a sealer on it? Like a spray-on acryllic or something like that. Sorry but I'm totally confused.
Thanks!

[Greenfield_Bob]

I usually use wipe on poly

Bob