66. Cutting poly will DEEPEN your skills #mtbitesize #shorts

If you’re still tossing money at wipe on poly, there’s something you need to know about it. Wipe on poly is actually a watered down version of regular polyurethane. The difference is that you’ll actually pay more for that watered down poly over the thicker polyurethane. That’s like buying 50% radiator fluid for more than the 100% fluid price. Talk about a con chasing con. If you’re looking for ways to save money…and who isn’t these days, there’s an easier way to make your own at home.

First you’ll need a glass jar, preferably with a lid. You’ll need either mineral spirits or paint thinner and a measuring cup. Add 3 parts poly to one part thinning agent. And…that’s it. The best part is that you can experiment with different thicknesses, depending on different wood densities. For example, with this curly maple, I wanted to bring out the chatoyance of the wood by getting a layer deeper into the wood. I added a little more paint thinner which allowed the poly to become thin enough to penetrate deeper into the dense maple. Save money and build a better finishing skillset. Much better than the con, chasing the con.

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[MakeThings]

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[tgeliot]

The old Russian guy who ran the wood shop at my university taught us to mix equal parts of polyurethane, paint thinner, and boiled linseed oil. I have a knife block in my kitchen with this finish that has held up pretty well for 40 years.

[roberthobbs]

Chatoyence: that 3D effect you get in some wood grains

[zxeonub]

3 parts what to what part what? Too fast man.