Minwax Water-Based Wipe-On Polyurethane, Satin, 1 Pint

This is a water based 'wipe on' poly. Like all water based top coats, this covers well, is easy to clean up, and does not add any color to the base material (other than possibly darkening a reflectively flat surface). And, as a previous reviewer mentioned, this dries quickly and this feature can be a double edged sword. If you do not apply this over your entire surface within a short period of time, you can easily get ridges or overlaps that don't settle out. This particular product, however, has one advantage over all other water based top coats I've used, it is very thin (low viscosity) and is truly designed for 'wipe on' application. In fact, I would not recommend brushing this on since wiping on is significantly easier to apply the needed thin coat. I have not tried to spray it, it might spray well, but I really like the wipe on aspect and use this product where wipe on is preferred (built-ins or small projects). It is important to note that this is wipe 'on', not wipe 'in'. For each coat this should be applied in one smooth motion, with no more than a quick retrace to pick up excess. Any attempt to 'work' it into the surface will probably make the finish worse and loses the advantage of this finish, which is the ability to apply several thin coats within a day. In 4 hours I can apply 3 coats and I'm done. No sanding in between and very easy cleanup. So far I've only used this as a top coat for Milk Painted trim on some kitchen cabinets and I am very pleased with the results. My only complaint is that it is not widely available and I need to pay outrageous shipping costs for a single pint. Even with the shipping costs combined, however, this finish is worth the price.

I had a new handrail installed that was unfinished oak. I liked the natural grain of the rail and didn't really want to paint or stain it. After I sanded the rail down, I used this product on it, and it came out with a really nice satin kind finish. It did darken the oak a smidge, but love how easy it was to use. I put on 3 layers in 2 days. Plus, SUPER easy cleanup and not that toxic paint smell. I only used 1/2 the bottle and I'm trying to find something else to use it up on. Works great on wood, I tried it on a few other non-wood pieces in inconspicuous places... so far as I can tell it's really only good for wood. For wood, though, it's excellent.

I build a lot of furniture, and have relied on oil-based wipe-on poly as my go-to finish for years. The key thing to understand about this product is that it is completely different from oil-based wipe on poly, so you can’t try to apply it using the same techniques. This product is much thicker than the oil-based stuff, and it dries MUCH quicker. You have maybe 30 seconds to work with it once it hits the wood before it gets tacky. You have to work very fast to keep a wet working area on the surface so your strokes blend together. If there’s a blemish, just ignore it and sand it out later. The key to making this look good is to build up lots of coats, and then use very fine sandpaper to buff/polish the surface smooth. For the sample piece in the picture, I did 7 coats then wet-sanded it with 600 grit. You need to build up a thick enough layer that you can sand out all the imperfections and not hit bare wood. After that you can polish it further, or use a paste wax on top. The instructions on the container say to use a cloth to apply the finish, but I found that a foam brush made it much easier to apply an even coat. Get the whole surface coated as fast as you can, then quickly go over the whole surface again using overlapping strokes in the same direction to even things out. The big advantage to this water-based poly is that it doesn’t smell. With oil-based poly, I have to wait a week or more to deliver furniture because the smell is overpowering. This stuff is good to go as soon as it’s dry. I do think that the oil-based stuff is more foolproof, but the difference in odor makes me prefer the water-based product.

Love this product no streaks easy and o apply

love this product for furniture refinishing, wipes on beautifully with a soft rag, my first choice for top coat

The Minwax Clear Wipe-On Poly is the first and only product I’ve purchased for my furniture refurbishing projects, and it has completely exceeded my expectations. This water-based polyurethane is incredibly easy to work with, providing a beautiful satin finish that enhances the natural beauty of wood while sealing and protecting it effectively. I use sponge painting brushes to apply an even layer of coating, and the results have been consistently impressive. The finish is smooth, durable, and adds a professional touch to my projects. Even furniture I coated two years ago still looks fantastic and shows no signs of wear, which gives me hope for its long-term durability. For anyone looking to refurbish or protect their furniture, I highly recommend this product. It’s simple to use and delivers stunning, lasting results!

Mal, muy mal. Bote con tapón abierto. Y el mayor problema, deja marchas de brocha o panal y no tiene brillo ninguno. Para devolver una pesadilla!

It's a great product. I used it on the neck of my guitar. It allows you to easily put a thin coat on at a time and it dries quickly. It's eco friendly and almost odorless. Highly recommended.

Excellent result

Very easy to use and gives very good results. I am never going back to traditional brush on varnish or spray can lacquer. Gives better results with much much lesser effort than traditional varnish in a much much shorter time. Gives better results with much much less effort than spray can lacquer though takes more time. Spray lacquer can dry in 15mins. This takes about 1 hour in Singapore's sunny weather. As good as odourless. Clean up with water so easy. Can wipe on with cloth also can brush on. But as it is very thin, there is no brush lines. Minimal sanding (compared to traditional varnish and lacquer) between the layers compared to traditional varnish and lacquer. Reason is minwax is so thin. Dries pretty fast, can be as fast as 1 hour in Singapore's sunny weather. 3 to 4 layers gives me the results I want. Makes me wonder why this is not as popular as it should be. Guess is the cost.

An easy to clean alternative to oil based poly.