Minwax 60910000 Wipe-On Poly Finish Clear, quart, Satin

I bought this thinking it was just another wipe-on finish. Nope. This is liquid confidence in a can. The first swipe on my coffee table gleamed so hard I heard angels humming Eye of the Tiger. Within an hour, I had coated the table, two chairs, and—out of curiosity—the remote control. Everything in my living room now looks like it’s been polished for an FBI evidence photo. The instructions said, “Apply thin coats.” I read that as a personal challenge. I went thick. Real thick. My table is now so shiny birds keep flying into it. Smells like regret and craftsmanship. Dries faster than my willpower around snacks. My reflection’s clearer than my credit score. Pros: Smooth finish, easy to use, life-changing glow. Cons: None, except I can no longer sneak a midnight snack without blinding myself. Final verdict: 10/10 — My wood has never looked so emotionally fulfilled.

I love the wipe on - so simple to use and no problem with runs or streaks. Dries fast. Does take more coats since they are thin coats, but considering the speed of drying and the ease it is worth it. My main go to now when possible.

i just started building tables this summer and I had been using the standard polyurethane, clear-satin for my first 3 tables. I would see this stuff in stored, but I didnt understand how to use it, and didnt know what the advantages were, so I never got it. For my 4th table - i decided i would try it.. WISH I WOULD HAVE USED THIS ON ALL OF THEM!!!! this is for sure what the professionals use. When I was using the classic/standard poly, i was being a total perfectionist, but you can still run into issues with drips/brush marks etc. I was learning to lean my tables at a certain angle while they dried to prevent imperfections etc. So the wipe on poly has one disadvantage - you need like 10+ coats to get the same level of finish as 3 coats standard poly. The directions said 3-5, but after 3-5 it looked like 1 coat of regular poly. So, keep piling on the coats until you see the finish you want. it will happen. It is more work - HOWEVER... it is flawless... the coats come out absolutely perfect, its super easy to control and apply.. and the finish you end up with is amazing! Way better than standard poly. While I was working on the table, I was not happy at first because I would put 4, 5, 6 coats on and it was still not popping.. so it is more work. it takes a day to get one side of your table done, if you start putting coats on consistently every 1.5 hours or so.. for like 10 coats.. but when I finally got enough coats on... I totally saw the advantages, because the table was *perfect*. Flawless finish. So it took a weekend to do both sides, working on it from sun up- sun down, but after the table set for a few days... WOW! unbelievable finish, and made me want to go back and re-do all of my previous tables. The thin consistency of the finish makes it very easy to wipe on a very evenly distributed coat. Even as the coats build up, it is so easy to get a perfect, even new coat on. it dries quickly. once you start piling the coats on, it eventually starts building up. Like I said - the first day I did it, I was like what?!!? this is crazy... but the results... WOW! I will never use anything else ever again! Every time you see your table, you can see how it is completely worth it.

I like this and it works well, but you can make it yourself. Google it. I use 50/50 oil based poly and mineral spirits. If you don’t want to make it, this works well. Again, google how to use it. I apply with a small lint-free t shirt piece. I estimate three coats of this equates to three coats of regular poly. What I like most is the lack of streaks and bubbles with this product. Easier to control. But be careful sanding between coats as you can easily sand through the thin coat and into your stain. The overall finish is the same as regular oil based poly.

It took me a while to figure out how to apply this properly - I did not find that the instructions on the back of the can were helpful. Here is what worked/didn't work for me: 1. Applicator - the rag technique did not work for me - I have had the best luck with folded blue shop towels. For a large tabletop surface area, I neatly folded up two towels, and I tried to minimize any wrinkles or uneven folding. 2. Loading of product into Applicator - the applicator should be initially soaked, and then gently squeezed until it is wet, but not dripping. If it is too dry, then there will be streaks of uneven application. If it is too wet, then there will be visible lap marks or runs. 3. Application technique - the "bus boy" technique did not work for me, nor did the youtube "one straight wipe in a line and move down" technique. I achieved the best results by applying the product in a straight line, end to end, and then, without lifting the folded shop towel, immediately reverse at the end of the application stroke and retrace my application line back to the beginning. Then I turned the shop towel over to its "fresh" loaded side, and repeated the process, overlapping my previous stroke by around 1/2 inch to an inch. I reloaded the towel after each set of 2 application lines. 4. My table had breadboard ends, so I was able to cleanup the ends of the strokes by just running with the grain on each end. 5. I used painter's tape on the sides of the table. This worked well for me, until I rushed a coat with too much product on the towel and got some runs. Next time, I'd use the two inch painter's tape instead of the one inch painter's tape. Scotch blue tape. 6. Coat frequency and sanding - I settled into a rhythm of two coat "sets" per day. Before I started each set of coats, I lightly sanded with 320 grit sandpaper and removed the dust with shop towels and mineral spirits. I followed some advice that you don't need to sand between two coats if they were applied between 3-4 hours of each other. 7. Number of coats - I'm at 12 coats on the bottom - it looked bad until around coat 6-7. Now it looks really nice, although I will need to educate myself on how to "rub out" the finish to get rid of some application imperfections. I will probably not put more coats on the bottom. 8. Make sure to shake the can before you put it in a cup - the satin solids will settle to the bottom of the can (and your cup) if it's been a while since you shook the can. The product gave a very nice looking finish to my mahogany table top. I did not find that it was too plasticky or whatever. Once I got used to my application technique, the dry/tack free time of around 3 hours was perfect for 2 coat sets.