Which Wiping Varnish is the BEST? | The Wood Whisperer

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Those who have been following me for a while probably already know my affinity for wiping varnishes. As much as for my own curiosity as everyone else's edification, I wanted to do a side by side comparison between some popular variations of wiping varnish. I've used all of these finishes in the past but I have never used them side by side. By finishing some test boards, I figured I could not only gather information about their application characteristics but also the resulting look of the finishes and how they might hold up to various durability tests. Here are the four finishes I tested:

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[GrumpysWorkshop]

Excellent video Marc! As a longtime Minwax woodworker, you've convinced me to branch out a bit.

Another note on the Bloxygen, having a can around is an easy solution, but there's other alternatives that most shops already have on hand. Welding gas from either Mig or Tig is straight argon or an argon/CO2 mix. Propane is also heavier than air, and a quick burst from an unlit torch does the same thing. You can also make your own CO2 dirt cheap with a little baking soda and vinegar - let it bubble a bit in a separate container, and then pour the invisible gas into the can.

[MakeSomething]

I always love your tests and shootouts! I think I trust your opinion and viewpoint on these things more than anybody else when it comes to woodworking.

[devilsownnightmare]

You must be a psychic fortune teller, Marc. As I was watching your video, I was asking myself how easily would the damage be to repair, and then you went and showed exactly that. Bravo, sir. You are still the master.

[GadgetAddict]

That's a lot of tests and a lot of effort. Thanks for this video Marc.

[briarfox]

I used the ARm R Seal on a cherry wall shelf with 2 drawers. I loved the way that it brought out the characteristics of the grain and gum pockets without bloching. The reflection was also really cool. I loved it. Usually I shellac everything.

[billonthehill]

I think the Minwax & Arm-R-Seal are the real winners here, imho. Just a nitpick on sanding between coats, regardless of the finish being applied, this is just me, but just after vacuuming off the surface, I immediately wipe it down with a well wrung out damp cloth, ( I use the H/D cotton blue ones, available most everywhere. ) It never fails to amaze me just how much dust was still on the wood's surface after vacuuming! Then & only then, the next coat gets applied. This is by far the best comparison test I've ever seen, well done Marc!
I very recently finished up laying down 7" white pine shiplap ( 70 sf. ) horizontally on my workshop walls, 41" down from the above floor joices leaving a 1/8" gap above my 30" tall workbenches.
I have on hand 3/4's of a qt. of Minwax oil based Clear Satin Poly & I plan on applying my 1st & only coat, hopefully, on a small section off by itself to see how it looks.
I have never used the Minwax Wipe On Poly, but I will have a go with this product in all eventualities!
Thank you for the excellent presentation btw,
Bill on the Hill... :-)

[stevencjones]

What an EXCELLENT, practical evaluation of wipe-on finishes! And your commentary was clear and informative... THANK YOU!

[garyjordan]

Thank you for your help with choosing a good finish. I don't do fine woodworking projects but the stuff that I do I want to look good. Thank you for your time. I did get the help I needed to select a good finish. One of my old timer friends once told me that if you put the lid on tight and store the can upside down the content doesn't seal off the top. But the harden layer when upright and open is then on the bottom of the can.

[ghknutson]

Very helpful comparison! My compliments on VG production values, and that you don't drag in irrelevant "funny" video clips afflicting so many of other sites.

[timg]

I know this is NOT relative to your "Wiping Varnish Shootout" video, but recently, while searching for info on Poly over Shellac, I found your 2010 waxed/dewaxed under poly video and it was exactly what I was looking for. And now I feel I can comfortably put a poly coat OVER my dewaxed spray-on shellac. THANKS, very much!

[mikewelch]

This video was LOTS more informational than I thought it was going to be. Excelllent!

[briarfox]

I've always been a fan of Arm R Seal semi gloss, simple shellac and wax, or oil and wax. This was a good video comparison Mark.

[Bloxygen]

Excellent work Marc! Thank you all for the support.

[coreygrua]

Thank you for the practical advice. Your extra efforts to find “real world” damages saved me some valuable time.

[jaimelopez]

Hi Marc, I just watched this. Still very relevant despite the time that has elapsed. You are good at what you do and I'm glad you can support your family doing it.

[fouroakfarm]

Excellent set of tests. Sponsored products usually annoy me but this is pertinent and useful and I appreciate that. Thanks Mark

[MNhockeydude]

Time for a little geek info: One thing to note is that Waterlox is a phenolic resin mixed with tung oil the other two are a polyurethane. There is a third type which is an alkyd varnish but is more expensive and difficult to find. The polyurethanes have always been known for their great abrasion resistance, increased hardness, (think tungsten carbide which is subject to chipping) and thus have been traditionally used on floors. The phenolic resin and Tung oil finish that Waterlox uses is known to be "tougher" (Think O1 tool steel which you can lap to a really sharp edge, will flex and not chip, dulls faster) it is also easier to rub out the final even finish which is not easily done with polyurethanes. Not to be the the experiment critic... but I found it interesting that Marc decided on using veneered plywood rather than solid wood for testing purposes... I do believe that this automatically puts the Waterlox at a disadvantage because by nature the phenolic finishes are to be absorbed much deeper into the wood than polyurethanes and provide a type of flexible backbone to the fibers of the wood. This is why you saw the wood absorbing so much more Waterlox in the demonstration. Now if there is only 1/42" of an inch of veneer for the phenolic resin to absorb into then a barrier of adhesive between the veneer and substrate this may prevent the Waterlox from performing the way it was meant to perform which may have been why the Waterlox sealer failed the first water test which it really should excel at... Theoretically in summary Waterlox will not nearly have the scratch resistance of polyurethanes such as arm-r-seal but when they do occur they should be less noticeable and more easily repairable than an equivalent scratch on poly. What this test showed was how each of these finishes performed on plywood but not wood but that might just be splitting hairs. These are great videos and are a tremendous contribution to the woodworking community. I recognize the amount of time and effort that goes into putting these together so thanks and keep up the good work!!

[rhm]

What a great video. Well edited, information dense, yet perfectly easy to follow, and good comparison of products. I learned a lot in very little time. Even the Bloxygen ad was well explained and made me want to buy the product. I built a dresser and bookshelf from red oak plywood, which I finished with Minwax. I built a night stand with the left over plywood, which I will try finishing with Arm-r-Seal. Thanks again for the video.

[befmx]

The first gallon of Arm R Seal I ever got skimmed up within a few months between projects. It was in the plastic gallon container with screw on lid. I couldn't believe it. I think I will go back to the Arm R Seal now that I know about the Bloxygen. Thanks Marc.

[LutherBuilds]

And...this is why you're my favorite woodworking content creator. Always bringing extremely helpful and practical information yet keeping it entertaining. In my opinion, a general all purpose well rounded finish is Arm-r-Seal. Like you said, there may be specific instances where you'd use Waterlox. You did a great job of capturing the images and angles of the surfaces. It's very difficult to accurately replicate what you see in person. It would be great to see a similar durability test of water based finished as well. But I know that not everyone likes the look of a water based poly.