Watco

Brian Patterson

New User
Bstrom
The tutorial went back and forth referring to 'thinner' and 'mineral spirits' added to the poly. Does it matter which you use? I have both but they aren't the same thing...
 

Keye

Keye
Corporate Member
I used satin poly, mineral spirits and boiled linseed oil. Not positive but I think the ratio was 50% poly, 25% mineral spirits and 25% linseed oil. I do not think sanding between coats was needed. This is easy to figure out. If applied to a surface they will see moderate wear I would still use multiple coats.
 

Jeff

New User
Jeff
The tutorial went back and forth referring to 'thinner' and 'mineral spirits' added to the poly. Does it matter which you use? I have both but they aren't the same thing...

Specifically which thinner and mineral spirits do you have. The brand name (ie. Jasco, etc).
 

Brian Patterson

New User
Bstrom
Specifically which thinner and mineral spirits do you have. The brand name (ie. Jasco, etc).
The ones sold at Walmart - Klean Strip. Have both - they are not the same. I use the MS to check out grain, clean between coats, etc. Thinner is for cleaning brushes.
 

Jeff

New User
Jeff
The ones sold at Walmart - Klean Strip. Have both - they are not the same. I use the MS to check out grain, clean between coats, etc. Thinner is for cleaning brushes.

Chemically they are not the same but technically they can be used interchangeably. The paint thinner is "Stoddard solvent" which is a petroleum fraction.


 
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Brian Patterson

New User
Bstrom
Yeah, the thinner has some other ‘stuff’ in it where the mineral spirits is more simple and ‘oilier’ in nature. I would imagine the thinner would dry faster if used a a cut to the poly, and the mineral spirits would contribute to the oil nature of a finish (color?) moreso. I think I will use the thinner with poly to keep it more clear for a natural look And use mineral oil for the deeper color desired out of Cherry and Walnut.
 

Jeff

New User
Jeff
Yeah, the thinner has some other ‘stuff’ in it where the mineral spirits is more simple and ‘oilier’ in nature. I would imagine the thinner would dry faster if used a a cut to the poly, and the mineral spirits would contribute to the oil nature of a finish (color?) moreso. I think I will use the thinner with poly to keep it more clear for a natural look And use mineral oil for the deeper color desired out of Cherry and Walnut.

I don't understand your rationale; the mineral spirits or thinner are clear and colorless. The only color would come from the oil based poly.
 

Brian Patterson

New User
Bstrom
I don't understand your rationale; the mineral spirits or thinner are clear and colorless. The only color would come from the oil based poly.
I may be guessing but the thinner is Actually clear and the mineral spirits have some ‘tone’ to them. I suspect (don’t know) there would be a difference in appearance. Whatever...
 

Jeff

New User
Jeff
I may be guessing but the thinner is Actually clear and the mineral spirits have some ‘tone’ to them. I suspect (don’t know) there would be a difference in appearance. Whatever...

Ok, stop guessing and pour some of each in a clear jar. Are they both clear or one has a "tone" as you suspect.
 

Brian Patterson

New User
Bstrom
I found the answer I was looking for - thanks go to the Family Handyman website:

Mineral spirits or paint thinner … which is better?
For cleaning brushes, paint thinner is best since it’s half the cost of mineral spirits and basically works the same. Other than the price, the differences between the two solvents are subtle:

  • Both are petroleum products.
  • Both can be used to thin oil-based paints and varnishes and to clean paintbrushes.
  • Paint thinner is mineral spirits, but in a less refined form. It contains other types of solvents, which makes it a lot smellier and more volatile.
  • Mineral spirits is not as stinky. Because it’s more refined, it’s slightly more effective in smaller quantities than paint thinner.
 

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