I am wary of just adding water to a w/b finish.  It's a delicate balance of a dozen or so components and may not act right.   It's not so much a problem with oil based -- add as much linseed oil or mineral spirits as you want.

 

Beading, craters, and circles on the finish is often a sign of silicone oil contamination -- generally due to Pledge, but also from a can of silicone oil directly or indirectly.   A coat of shellac sprayed on will seal that evil stuff in.

I just used W/B Poly for the first time (on top of a 2 coat shellac base) and had few if any problems with wipe on, undiluted no less. I was doing a base cabinet for a rolling butcher block island so surfaces were sizable, vertical and horizontal. Just an old t-shirt torn into usable size rags and wipe it on. A little care is required to prevent runs but I find that working right along at a decent pace allows me to work from a wet edge pretty much, keeping the coats thin and applying numerous coats. It does dry fast, no doubt, but if I can do it (always used oil based till now) anybody can. I did sand 220 between coats (very lightly) and a brown paper grocery bag wipe down after the final coat to really smooth it out. For the first time using this stuff, I was pleased with the results. 

Gary

18 hours ago, kmealy said:

I am wary of just adding water to a w/b finish.  It's a delicate balance of a dozen or so components and may not act right.   It's not so much a problem with oil based -- add as much linseed oil or mineral spirits as you want.

 

Beading, craters, and circles on the finish is often a sign of silicone oil contamination -- generally due to Pledge, but also from a can of silicone oil directly or indirectly.   A coat of shellac sprayed on will seal that evil stuff in.

This was bare wood that was stained with oil based stain.  When I stripped it all again by sanding back down to raw wood and re stained it then used full strength poly no craters or divots were apparent.  I think before it was the water getting pushed out ot the finish.  I am all good now a small brush with overlaping strokes and barely wet just enough to coat the surface.  Between coats 400 and now a brown paper bag to even it out.

It looks fine and I am very happy with the outcome.

 

What beside brown paper bags can I use to polish out the dust nibs?

 

Found this higher up  light gray or maroon Scotch-Brite

will try these.  

Edited February 12, 20197 yr by Michael Thuman

On ‎2‎/‎11‎/‎2019 at 1:31 PM, Michael Thuman said:

All thining the poly to 50% water 50% poly

Wow, I've never been that aggressive with the water.  I add a dash (10% ?) of water, but I suspect that just offsets evaporation from the high-tech cottage cheese container that I store "ready use" poly in.  Again, a wet sock seems almost foolproof as an applicator.  The sock stores in a high-tech salsa container.

1 hour ago, PeteM said:

Wow, I've never been that aggressive with the water.  I add a dash (10% ?) of water, but I suspect that just offsets evaporation from the high-tech cottage cheese container that I store "ready use" poly in.  Again, a wet sock seems almost foolproof as an applicator.  The sock stores in a high-tech salsa container.

Pete someone else in this thread led me to 50%.  10% is much more in line and correct.  How do you get your socks to be lint free.

I would use and old cotton tshirt that is freshly laundered.  How much thinner is the 10% mix compared to the full strength?  Does the 10% evaporate cleanly and quickly?

 

 

  How do you get your socks to be lint free.   How much thinner is the 10% mix compared to the full strength?  Does the 10% evaporate cleanly and quickly?  

 

Really oooold socks.  Wait until they have holes in them, and then the lint falls out the holes?  Problem solved?  I think the poly solution tends to lubricate (?) the application, and thus lint isn't formed?  Not sure.  Haven't seen a real problem with it.  Come to think of it, I only use the white "sports" socks, and I turn them inside out as applicators.  Maybe can't see the lint for all the dust?  I really can't tell the diff with added water, at 10%.  Maybe a little looser liquid.  Since the sock tends to just wet the surface, not leave much depth/run, thickness of liquid doesn't seem to matter.  We have a pretty dry climate here, so even on rainy days the poly is dry to the touch in about 15 minutes, and can be recoated in 30--60.  Allows doing a side, wait a few, then do the other side, wait an hour for the second coats.

On 2/13/2019 at 7:21 AM, Michael Thuman said:

Pete someone else in this thread led me to 50%.  10% is much more in line and correct.  How do you get your socks to be lint free.

I would use and old cotton tshirt that is freshly laundered.  How much thinner is the 10% mix compared to the full strength?  Does the 10% evaporate cleanly and quickly?

 

 

What kind of Poly are you using, I am using MinWax Poly Acrylic WB and diluting 50% works for me ,OVER SHELLAC to seal what is underneath.

21 hours ago, Dadio said:

What kind of Poly are you using, I am using MinWax Poly Acrylic WB and diluting 50% works for me ,OVER SHELLAC to seal what is underneath.

I am using the same over an oil based stain/dye.  I did not seal it with Shellac first.

 

23 hours ago, Dadio said:

What kind of Poly are you using

I've used both Minwax and Varathane.  Both seem to act the same.

3 hours ago, Michael Thuman said:

I am using the same over an oil based stain/dye.  I did not seal it with Shellac first.

 

That may be the reason,water and oil don't mix,they say, that is why I always seal with shellac. The only time I don't is when I finish a piece of raw wood and don't want the yellowing of the shellac, I will seal with the WB poly. it will raise the grain like crazy, but after it is sanded the next coats go on as smooth as can be. I am glad you solved your problem, keep doing what you are doing if it is working good for you. The only suggestion I have is in the future try it out on a scrap piece before you put it on the furniture, it will save a lot of sanding, and you can throw the scrap away, and try another.

Herb

19 hours ago, Dadio said:

That may be the reason,water and oil don't mix,they say, that is why I always seal with shellac. The only time I don't is when I finish a piece of raw wood and don't want the yellowing of the shellac, I will seal with the WB poly. it will raise the grain like crazy, but after it is sanded the next coats go on as smooth as can be. I am glad you solved your problem, keep doing what you are doing if it is working good for you. The only suggestion I have is in the future try it out on a scrap piece before you put it on the furniture, it will save a lot of sanding, and you can throw the scrap away, and try another.

Herb

Thanks pictures are comming tonight.

 

On 2/19/2019 at 7:47 AM, Michael Thuman said:

Thanks pictures are comming tonight.