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Thread: Anyone used minwax wipe on poly on a stock ?

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    Anyone used minwax wipe on poly on a stock ?

    As header, looking for an idiot proof quick drying lacquer finish for some old gun stocks. Has anyone tried Minwax Wipe on Poly clear on a gun stock ? If so, what were the results like and is it as easy to apply as seen on YouTube ?
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    Thanks for bringing this up, I was not aware of this new development .. Looks really good.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zT5iXDihszU

    Check out the man sanding something with paper but no sand! Just paper!

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    I have tried to get this for a while for another project, is it now available in the UK at a reasonable price??

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    ccdjg is online now Airgun Alchemist, Collector and Scribe
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    It is a con.

    It is only only ordinary solvent-based polyurethane varnish mixed with white spirit. I have been mixing it up myself and using it on guns stocks for years now.

    (This video highlights the point: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pE4IYIWdl8Q)

    It is based on the principle that thinned down varnish penetrates bare wood deeper than straight varnish, and although you have to apply more coats, it shows the grain better and the method of application gives a smoother finish with no brush marks.

    So as white spirit is a lot cheaper than varnish, why pay a manufacturer more money for less of the active ingredient?

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    Quote Originally Posted by ccdjg View Post
    It is a con.

    It is only only ordinary solvent-based polyurethane varnish mixed with white spirit. I have been mixing it up myself and using it on guns stocks for years now.

    (This video highlights the point: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pE4IYIWdl8Q)

    It is based on the principle that thinned down varnish penetrates bare wood deeper than straight varnish, and although you have to apply more coats, it shows the grain better and the method of application gives a smoother finish with no brush marks.

    So as white spirit is a lot cheaper than varnish, why pay a manufacturer more money for less of the active ingredient?

    You may be right but I wouldn't have a clue how to mix all the ingredients. Thanks for the link I'll look later.
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    Quote Originally Posted by ccdjg View Post
    It is a con.

    It is only only ordinary solvent-based polyurethane varnish mixed with white spirit. I have been mixing it up myself and using it on guns stocks for years now.

    (This video highlights the point: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pE4IYIWdl8Q)

    It is based on the principle that thinned down varnish penetrates bare wood deeper than straight varnish, and although you have to apply more coats, it shows the grain better and the method of application gives a smoother finish with no brush marks.

    So as white spirit is a lot cheaper than varnish, why pay a manufacturer more money for less of the active ingredient?
    That makes perfect sense.

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    CCJDG, I’ve done a bit of research and found that others do agree with you. I copied and pasted following from some wood working site...... I don't think those products are available here - at least as branded goods. Functional equivalents abound and frankly, I think you would be hard pushed to see major differences between most brands we do have.

    FWIW (and maybe this is Granny speaking of eggs?) wiping varnishes etc. are simply finishes that are sufficiently thinned as to be able to be applied by a rag, rubber etc. Thus, it is easy to thin oil based products - just add white spirits - but hopeless to add enough water to the typical waterborne varnish - to produce a wiping finish.

    Just grab any old oil based poly, thin it with white spirits and you have a wiping (poly) varnish. You will have a finish that is dead easy to apply and doesn't show brush marks but you will need two or three coats to equate to one coat of an unthinned, brushed finish. End of article....

    I also found a recipe to make your own with a slightly difference, 1/3 Tung Oil, 1/3 White Spirit 1/3 Boiled Linseed oil. (Cant remember if it was White Spirit or Turps to be honest ) does this sound like it could work ?
    Last edited by vbull; 20-11-2020 at 02:15 PM.
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    Quote Originally Posted by vbull View Post
    CCJDG, I’ve done a bit of research and found that others do agree with you. I copied and pasted following from some wood working site...... I don't think those products are available here - at least as branded goods. Functional equivalents abound and frankly, I think you would be hard pushed to see major differences between most brands we do have.

    FWIW (and maybe this is Granny speaking of eggs?) wiping varnishes etc. are simply finishes that are sufficiently thinned as to be able to be applied by a rag, rubber etc. Thus, it is easy to thin oil based products - just add white spirits - but hopeless to add enough water to the typical waterborne varnish - to produce a wiping finish.

    Just grab any old oil based poly, thin it with white spirits and you have a wiping (poly) varnish. You will have a finish that is dead easy to apply and doesn't show brush marks but you will need two or three coats to equate to one coat of an unthinned, brushed finish. End of article....

    I also found a recipe to make your own with a slightly difference, 1/3 Tung Oil, 1/3 White Spirit 1/3 Boiled Linseed oil. (Cant remember if it was White Spirit or Turps to be honest ) does this sound like it could work ?
    use tack cloths that are meant for waterbased paints as they are better and less sticky than the normal ones you commonly see

  9. #9
    ccdjg is online now Airgun Alchemist, Collector and Scribe
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    Quote Originally Posted by vbull View Post

    I also found a recipe to make your own with a slightly difference, 1/3 Tung Oil, 1/3 White Spirit 1/3 Boiled Linseed oil. (Cant remember if it was White Spirit or Turps to be honest ) does this sound like it could work ?
    This recipe is a world different to what we have been talking about. It is for the "oiling" tecnhnique much favoured by traditionalists for stock finishing.
    It takes days longer than the varnish route to get a good effect and many swear that it it is worth the effort and cannot be equalled by varnishes.

    However, having tried both techniques I sometimes wonder if it is a bit of mythology. When you examine the chemistry involved, the oiling route and the 'thinned varnish' route are pretty much the same, and the only difference is the time involved. Tung oil and linseed oil have the property of hardening ( "curing") slowly on exposure to light and air, and give a polymer inside the wood and on the wood surface. But this takes days, even weeks. Polyurethane varnishes also cure inside the wood and on its surface but it only takes hours. The final result chemically is much the same for both techniques. I think the oiling technique is much more forgiving though, as you have plenty of time to remove excess or wipe off smears, and you always end up with a very thin top layer which shows the fine texture of the wood. However, if you apply the polyurethane varnish carefully thinly you can get exactly the same appearance in a fraction of the time.

    One advantage of the varnish method is than you can choose the final surface finish - gloss, satin or matt. I did the following gun using satin polyurethane varnish, thined down with solvent, and it took two applications over two days, with a light rubdown with finest steel wool between the two applications. The grain appearance of the wood is preserved, the surface is scratch resistant (and scratches don't show), water proof, and can be wax polished if desired.


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    Thanks for the detailed reply. Beautiful work by the way. If I make my own Minwax type finish does it make any difference which solvent I use, White Spirit, methylated etc ?
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  11. #11
    ccdjg is online now Airgun Alchemist, Collector and Scribe
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    Quote Originally Posted by vbull View Post
    Thanks for the detailed reply. Beautiful work by the way. If I make my own Minwax type finish does it make any difference which solvent I use, White Spirit, methylated etc ?
    Definitely white spirit (methylated spirit might make the varnish go cloudy and not mix well).

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    I've found this little thread quite interesting and is another example of the value of sharing information and experience here on the BBS.
    I've refinished two old 1980s Original stocks with Tru oil and whilst ok I wouldn't rave about the completed work. Maybe it's more the application than the oil itself but I had hoped either a finish I could buff with a wax or at other end of scale a fully sealed glass like finish. I've not really achieved one or other but it's an acceptable finish nonetheless.
    Some information here gives me ideas for another future project. Thanks all.
    Dave

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    i have used thinned yacht varnish wiped on with a suitable cloth wrapped round cotton wool in the same way french polish is applied,the varnish is a brown/orange colour and matches lots of the older finishes you see on walnut stocks from diana or bsa.i have also used boiled linseed with added japan driers for a similar effect again thinned to make application easy.this is almost a foolproof method as it goes on smooth and layers can be built up to a semi-gloss over a few days.

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    Quote Originally Posted by jonnyone View Post
    I've found this little thread quite interesting and is another example of the value of sharing information and experience here on the BBS.
    I've refinished two old 1980s Original stocks with Tru oil and whilst ok I wouldn't rave about the completed work. Maybe it's more the application than the oil itself but I had hoped either a finish I could buff with a wax or at other end of scale a fully sealed glass like finish. I've not really achieved one or other but it's an acceptable finish nonetheless.
    Some information here gives me ideas for another future project. Thanks all.
    Dave

    Couldn't agree more, I've learned a lot from this forum over the years. There's a lot of highly qualified people on the BBS who give valuable advice for free...
    Remember, it is the strongest character that God gives the most challenges.

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