For any wipe-on oil finish

[Dave Bagwill]

I'm using minwix wipe-on gloss poly for the parlor guitar, and it is looking great. I'm using this method, which really is my tru-oil method as well. I got it here: http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/wood ... t_may.html

Oil-Based Finishes
This goes for anything with oil in it, whether an oil-based finish like Waterlox or Watco, or any kind of oil-based polyurethane. The process is the same for any homemade type of oil finish. The wiping varnishes, thinned-out versions of the more common products, make this process a little easier, but it works with the full-thickness products as well. The Wiping Off part is the key.

Wipe On: Get a piece of t-shirt cloth and cut it to about one square foot. Fold it up into a pad about the size of a man’s shirt pocket. After you stir the finish, dunk about 1/3 of your pad into the finishing product, and wipe it onto the surface. Cover the surface thoroughly, but not heavily. After a few minutes, proceed to the next step.
Wipe Off: With a dry part of your pad, wipe away all the excess finishing product. Be thorough. You want to leave a thin, very even coat of finish on the piece. Be sure not to leave any runs, drips, or puddles. Use a flashlight to check the surface if you are not sure you have gotten everything. As you wipe the material off, buff the surface lightly with your pad. If you are using a wiping urethane, wipe with a lighter hand.
The wiping off keeps you from having to sand between coats, and the buffing contributes to the evenness and smoothness of the finish. If you started with a decently smooth surface, and you have done the wiping off procedure correctly, you should not need to sand between coats. Save the high-grit sandpaper until the end.

Let It Dry: It is important for one coat to be completely dry before you apply the next coat. You can test for dryness by rubbing your fingers or a dry piece of cloth across the surface. If you apply more oil on a surface that is still tacky, you will end up having to sand the surface between coats, and you want to avoid that.
Repeat? Most fine oil finishes consist of several coats, and you have to decide for yourself how far to go with this. At some point the finish will "pop", that is, it will start to look right. After that happens, add one more coat. By wiping the finishing product on and then off, you are achieving very fine, even coats. This process takes at least four or five coats, but the work is not strenuous, and it goes more quickly than you might think.

Remember, when using oil-based finishes it is important to have good ventilation to promote drying and to avoid the buildup of fumes in your workspace. Also, take careful precautions when disposing of rags, application pads, steel wool or other waste soaked with these products, as they may spontaneously catch fire if improperly discarded. Immediately after use, place oily rags and applicators in a sealed, water-filled, metal container and dispose of in accordance with your local community regulations.
Sanding
When you have put on your last coat and allowed it to dry thoroughly, run your fingers across the surface. If it feels just fine, that is, if your surface preparation was right, and you followed the process successfully, you should have a very smooth surface. Ideally you should be able to leave the surface alone at this point, but ending with a wet-sanding procedure will get you the best finish possible.

If the surface feels very rough, then the wiping off process has not gone just right, and you will need to start sanding at a lower grit. Try always to sand with the highest grit that will make a difference. If you have to do a lot of sanding, the higher the grit you use on your last step, the smoother your finish will be. Most non-professionals think that a 600 grit finish is fabulous. Keep at it until you are satisfied, and then wet-sand with the next higher grade of sandpaper (see below).

If the surface feels a tiny bit rough, or if your fingers bump across the surface like rocks skimming across the pond, you will do well to sand the piece lightly, using a lubricant. This is called Wet Sanding, and it does great things for a sturdy oil finish.

Wet Sanding
Wet SandingGet some high grit wet-dry sandpaper, 600 to 1000 grit, and fold some of it onto a cork sanding block or a hardware store drywall sander. This writer does not recommend doing this with just your hand, because your hand is not flat. Put just a few drops of mineral spirits or water onto the sandpaper, and spread it around on the sandpaper with your fingers. Lightly sand the surface, going with the grain. When you begin to feel a difference in the sander, or when the sanding process begins to sound abrasive, add a few more drops of lubricant. A little of it will go a long way.

As you begin to wet-sand, use your free hand to feel the wood that you have just sanded. You will probably love the feel of the wood, even if you are using regular polyurethane. If you are not quite satisfied, then sand (dry, without lubricant) to the next higher grit. Highland Hardware has wet-dry sandpaper up to 2500 grit. Do not wet-sand again unless you find yourself doing two or more passes of dry sanding after you wet-sand. The last sanding pass should generally include a lubricant. Feel the finish as you go ("Become one with the finish", says the Zen master), and you will know what to do.

If you used mineral spirits as a lubricant, several hours later you may see patches of a hazy-looking residue. Simply wipe it off with some t-shirt cloth. That may show up for a day or two on the piece, but it is harmless.

If you test this procedure successfully before you try it on a workpiece, and follow the steps closely, you will get some gorgeous finishes, and people will notice that the quality of your work has just gone up, especially if you are a beginner!

[Lonnie B]

Good on you Dave. I read the whole process. Sounds like something I might end up doing. I thought you sprayed Tru-Oil. I was going to give that a try.
The little girls Ukelele has five coats of finish on it then I wet sanded with 1600 grit. I always use #0000 steel wool between coats. The sixth coat dried in about 90 minutes. So I'm getting it on there thin enough. You know I use my finger to press it into the wood. Looking like a mirror. I'll fine sand up to 8000 grit. I think it'll come out pretty good.

[Dave Bagwill]

I'd like to see that end result Lonnie!

[Lonnie B]

Well I've made some boo-boo's. But maybe I'll get better.

[Lonnie B]

Ok I hope this posts. That's my belly reflected in the finish. Lol

[Lonnie B]

Here's the back. I have another one started for another neighborhood girl.

[Dave Bagwill]

Looks real good to me, Lonnie. She's gonna love it!