Oil-based polyurethane
Oil-based polyurethane is a clear topcoat; General Finishes thins its Arm-R-Seal with mineral spirits. The two makers below print very different recoat times, so the page shows both rather than an average: Minwax rates its Fast-Drying Polyurethane for a recoat in 3–4 hours, while General Finishes asks for 24 hours or more between coats of Arm-R-Seal.
Minwax says to sand lightly with 220-grit paper between coats and recommends three coats for the most durability. General Finishes gives Arm-R-Seal a 30-day cure at 70 °F and 50 % humidity and says to apply it in thin coats with a rag.
Oil-based polyurethanes, by their makers
Oil-based polyurethanes: recoat across makers
3.5 h
span 3–24 h
Two sources disagree: Minwax (Sherwin-Williams) 3.5, General Finishes 24
More than twice apart (Minwax (Sherwin-Williams) 3.5 h, General Finishes 24 h), so this starts at the lower. Go by your own product's figure below.
Oil-based polyurethanes: coverage across makers
500 sq ft/gal
span 500–500 sq ft/gal, per coat
Only two sources publish this: Minwax (Sherwin-Williams) and General Finishes
| Product | Touch-dry | Recoat | Use | Full cure | Coverage | Thinning and notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minwax Fast-Drying Polyurethane One source: Minwax (Sherwin-Williams), the maker of that product | — | 3–4 h | 24 hlight use | — | 125 sq ft per quart | Sand lightly with 220 grit between coats; 3 coats for most durability. |
| General Finishes Arm-R-Seal One source: General Finishes, the maker of that product | 12+ h | 24+ h | — | 30 days | up to 500 sq ft per gallon | Thinning: Mineral spirits.Conditions: 70 °F, 50 % RH.A thin oil-based topcoat GF says to apply in thin coats with a rag. |
Compared with other finishes
- Polyurethane vs lacquer
- Oil vs water-based polyurethane
- Polycrylic vs polyurethane
- Shellac vs polyurethane
- Wipe-on vs brush-on poly
- Hardwax oil vs polyurethane
Work it out for your project
Times are the makers' own at the temperature and humidity they name, and several of them say cooler, damper conditions slow their finishes. For how much to buy, the finish coverage calculator uses these same coverage figures. Every finish side by side: the finish dry time chart. What the federal rules say about finishes and food: food-contact finishes.
Elsewhere in finishing: shellac and the shellac cut calculator; for repairs before the finish, wood filler vs wood putty; and for the glue-up, wood glue types.