Synopsis: Consulting editor Chris Minick put 17 wipe-on finishes to the test and discovered that the best performers weren’t necessarily the most expensive. His study included the following: Hydrocote Danish Oil, Watco Wipe-On Poly, Minwax Wipe-On Poly, Watco Natural Danish Oil, Sam Maloof’s Poly/Oil Finish, Sutherland Welles Tung Oil High Luster, Minwax Antique Oil Finish, Sutherland Welles Wiping Varnish High Luster, Tried & True Varnish Oil, J.E. Moser’s Natural Danish Oil, Woodcraft Clear Urethane Oil Finish, General Finishes Seal-A-Cell/Arm-R-Seal, Waterlox Original High Gloss Finish, Waterlox Original Sealer/Finish, and J.E. Moser’s Polymerized Tung Oil.

Like many amateur woodworkers, I rely on wipe-on finishes to bring out the best in my projects. These varnish/oil blends, known collectively as Danish oils, are a mixture of varnish resins, solvents, chemical driers, and linseed or tung oils. They give woodworkers the best of all worlds: easy application, quick drying time, and good protection.

However, while doing research for a recent article on oil finishes (see FWW #177, pp. 22-26), I became intrigued by the differences between pure-oil finishes and oil/ varnish mixtures. The scientist in me took over, and I ended up doing a full-blown study of 17 wipe-on finishes. A few were outstanding and have found a permanent place in my finishing arsenal. Others will never see the inside of my shop again.

Selecting products, preparing samples

There are dozens of wipe-on finishes and I couldn’t test them all, so I tried to get a representative sample. I included a water-based finish and both tung-oil and linseed-oil-based finishes in a price range of less than $6 a quart to more than $40 a quart. Wipe-on finishes typically fall somewhere between pure-oil finishes and brushed-on finishes in terms of build and protection. To represent these boundaries, I included Minwax Fast-Drying Polyurethane, a widely available brushing varnish, and pure boiled linseed oil.

All the finishes were tested on 12-in. by 16-in. pieces of red-oak plywood cut from the same sheet. Each piece was sanded us – ing a quarter-sheet pad sander equipped with P120-grit paper followed by handsanding with P180-grit paper. The sanding dust was vacuumed off, and three coats of each finish were applied to separate panels. I applied the first coat with a lintfree cloth, adding more finish as dry spots appeared. After 15 minutes, I wiped off the excess and allowed the panel to dry for 24 hours.

To see how each additional coat built the finish, I taped off a quarter of the panel and applied the second coat in the same way as the first, except this time it was wet-sanded with a gray Scotch-Brite pad that equates to about P220-grit sandpaper. Coat three was applied to half the panel and sanded in with a gold Scotch-Brite pad similar to P1000-grit sandpaper. I let the panels dry for two weeks before begin – ning the tests because by that time most oil-based finishes are 95% cured.

From Fine Woodworking #178

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Fine Woodworking Recommended Products

Diablo ‘SandNet’ Sanding Discs

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Zissner Seal Coat

Great as a sanding sealer, and as a final finish.

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Waterlox Original

Versatile wiping varnish is easy to apply and great for both satin and gloss finishes.

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