Q: Can I dilute oil based polyurethane with something called Penetrol to make it easier to brush?
A: You certainly can, but it is a whole lot cheaper and easier to dilute it with mineral spirits, and in this particular case, just that will probably give you the results you want. I find that virtually all oil based varnishes and polyurethanes need to be reduced by at least 15% to behave well on a brush.
Gentle reminder: A modest donation to this finishing blog can keep it going to help others. Thanks!
Thanks for this tip Michael. I have generally thought poly was so “gummy” that I have been shying away a little. Look to trying diluting a bit! Bless you>
Kirk Dustin
July 8th, 2009