FWW had an article on Brush-On/Wipe-On Varnishes. When doing the wipe-on test the author would wipe on and wipe off the first coat. He didn’t say if additional coats should be wiped off…..unless I missed it. Should they be? I’ve used a lot of oil based polyurethane but have only brushed it on. Curious about the wiping technique.
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One should not wipe off a "wipe-on" finish. A penetrating oil type finish should be wiped off, but it's a different animal.
You'll need at least three coats of wipe-on finish to equal the mil thickness of a good brushed on coat. I use Minwax Wipe-on Poly quite a bit and am very satisfied with the product. It takes at least 6 coats to look good. But the drying time is fast so one can do at least three coats a day.
By the way, just about any varnish can be made a wipe on simply by adding enough thinner.
Wipe On Poly
In the article the author wiped on the regular high gloss oil poly.....the product that I normally brush on. He did not thin it.
In finishing, more than any other aspect of woodworking, it's always best to make samples. All you have to do is try this technique on some sample panels. This simple test will tell you more than any ten articles in FWW.