Miniwax Polyshades

tgomes1987 · May 13th, 2008, 05:32 PM

Has anyone used this product? Its Miniwax polyshades and its supposed to stain an clear coat wood at the same time. here's a link http://images.acehardwareoutlet.com/...=200&width=175 . Do yall think itd work?

ramblinmike · May 13th, 2008, 06:34 PM

Haven't tried it (or seen it in a store), but Minwax makes a real good product. I've had nothing but great success with their Poly-U (both spray and wipe-on). Would be awesome if this stuff worked as advertised.

Gary in Boston · May 13th, 2008, 08:08 PM

A number of years ago I was doing a quick finish on makeup stool for my daughter.

This product went on unevenly out of the can so it's best to move fast and put it on really wet. Then of course watch for runs etc. I believe in color then top coat.

Gary

Mike Bruce · May 14th, 2008, 09:41 AM

I've used it for years on furniture. Multiple coats only until you get the desired colour, then a top clear coat may be necessary. The better jobs started with a good pre-cleaning of the wood with spirits. Like most minwax products, it's good bang-for-the-buck. Shake or stir the crap out of a virgin can though, it settles fast, and stir a lot while using it.

Never thought of using it on a guitar. Cool.

Mike Bruce

jimd · May 14th, 2008, 11:35 AM

I wouldn't do it. You'll get much better results with separate staining and clear coating. Like Gary said the color goes on really uneven. You really have to work it to make it look good.

boris bubbanov · May 14th, 2008, 02:22 PM

I like some of the Minwax products, like their gel stains, "tung oil" finish, rattle can spar urethane, repair crayons, etc.

Not real impressed by their traditional spirits based stains. And the Polyshades when used as directed on the can, very clumsy, impossible to control the outcome. It is a "you get what you get" type product and I hate that. If you got a result you liked it might just be about sheer luck.

Stubee · May 14th, 2008, 05:19 PM

I don't build guitars but have stripped & finished plenty of furniture and also have finished a lot of new wood. The only bad experience I ever had was with Polyshades. I got streaking, didn't matter what I did, I hated it.

That was probably at least 10 years ago. Maybe I had a bad batch, or maybe they've improved it...but if it were me, I'd do the stain/finish thing in separate steps. No big deal that way anyway.

BAW4742 · May 14th, 2008, 07:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stubee

I don't build guitars but have stripped & finished plenty of furniture and also have finished a lot of new wood. The only bad experience I ever had was with Polyshades. I got streaking, didn't matter what I did, I hated it.

I agree. I would never consider it for finsihing a guitar.

I used it a while back on a project. We were finishing some door and window trim and trying to save some time. It took the stuff way to long to dry and I had to buy more trim and stain and varnish as usual. Needless to say I didn't save any time.

I kept the can around the shop for a few years and tried it once in a while on some small things. The finish was always very streaky and looked like it was done by a beginner.

I ended up throwing the rest of the stuff out as I had no plan to use it again.

rhstranger · May 14th, 2008, 07:48 PM

I tried it and didn't like it. 4 coats, and it didn't come close the the deepness of colour that it claimed it would get to. And not nearly close to the tint the colour was supposed to be. I think the shade I was using was antique walnut (a more greyish brown on the sample) , but looked more reddish, like a mahogany stain. Also had the same unevenness(?) in application that Gary in Boston had, even with using the wood conditioner beforehand as well....

po-boy · May 20th, 2008, 12:08 PM

tried to use it once when refinishing table and chairs set - hated it - very hard to control and very uneven finish - had to strip it off and re-sand - never tried it again - wouldn't even consider using it for a guitar finish - have had much better results with minwax stains, wipe on poly and antique oil finish -

- i'm not a complete idiot ... some parts are missing -

JerryG · May 21st, 2008, 01:35 PM

I agree with Po-boy. I love Minwax, but I'll never use their combo polyshades product again. Much better to do it in two steps: stain, then finish. Just my 2 cents.

boris bubbanov · May 21st, 2008, 01:48 PM

People keep giving me the cans of Polyshades, and I take them to a volunteer service that donates them to those rebuilding here on a dime.

I'd intended the use the product as the poly coating over objects that were already very dark or black, but I ran out of needs for the stuff, as it does not tolerate ultraviolet light, I find.

Holdfast! · May 24th, 2008, 03:36 AM

I wouldn't do it. I considered it once and checked in with my very talented woodworking buddy - who I've often see use minwax products and thinks fairly well of them - and he said that among the guys he works with, Polyshades is universaly reviled and he hates it.
I'm just sayin'.

May 13th, 2008, 05:32 PM	#1 (permalink)
tgomes1987 TDPRI Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Chico Posts: 15	Miniwax Polyshades Has anyone used this product? Its Miniwax polyshades and its supposed to stain an clear coat wood at the same time. here's a link http://images.acehardwareoutlet.com/...=200&width=175 . Do yall think itd work?

May 13th, 2008, 08:08 PM	#3 (permalink)
Gary in Boston Tele-Meister Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 358	Minwax A number of years ago I was doing a quick finish on makeup stool for my daughter. This product went on unevenly out of the can so it's best to move fast and put it on really wet. Then of course watch for runs etc. I believe in color then top coat. Gary

May 14th, 2008, 02:22 PM	#6 (permalink)
boris bubbanov Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: New Orleans, LA + in the past Posts: 5,864	I like some of the Minwax products, like their gel stains, "tung oil" finish, rattle can spar urethane, repair crayons, etc. Not real impressed by their traditional spirits based stains. And the Polyshades when used as directed on the can, very clumsy, impossible to control the outcome. It is a "you get what you get" type product and I hate that. If you got a result you liked it might just be about sheer luck. __________________ Bubban0v

May 14th, 2008, 07:48 PM	#9 (permalink)
rhstranger TDPRI Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Ontario CANADA Posts: 27	I tried it and didn't like it. 4 coats, and it didn't come close the the deepness of colour that it claimed it would get to. And not nearly close to the tint the colour was supposed to be. I think the shade I was using was antique walnut (a more greyish brown on the sample) , but looked more reddish, like a mahogany stain. Also had the same unevenness(?) in application that Gary in Boston had, even with using the wood conditioner beforehand as well.... __________________ Fender. mmm,mmm, good....

May 21st, 2008, 01:35 PM	#11 (permalink)
JerryG TDPRI Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Austin Tx Age: 48 Posts: 12	I agree with Po-boy. I love Minwax, but I'll never use their combo polyshades product again. Much better to do it in two steps: stain, then finish. Just my 2 cents. __________________ Thanks! Jerry _________________________ There are no "B" strings in Heaven.

May 13th, 2008, 06:34 PM	#2 (permalink)
ramblinmike Tele-Holic Join Date: May 2003 Location: Long Island NY Age: 22 Posts: 872	Haven't tried it (or seen it in a store), but Minwax makes a real good product. I've had nothing but great success with their Poly-U (both spray and wipe-on). Would be awesome if this stuff worked as advertised.

May 14th, 2008, 09:41 AM	#4 (permalink)
Mike Bruce Tele-Meister Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Goderich Posts: 102	I've used it for years on furniture. Multiple coats only until you get the desired colour, then a top clear coat may be necessary. The better jobs started with a good pre-cleaning of the wood with spirits. Like most minwax products, it's good bang-for-the-buck. Shake or stir the crap out of a virgin can though, it settles fast, and stir a lot while using it. Never thought of using it on a guitar. Cool. Mike Bruce

May 14th, 2008, 11:35 AM	#5 (permalink)
jimd Tele-Meister Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Cleveland, Ohio Age: 41 Posts: 442	I wouldn't do it. You'll get much better results with separate staining and clear coating. Like Gary said the color goes on really uneven. You really have to work it to make it look good.

May 14th, 2008, 05:19 PM	#7 (permalink)
Stubee Tele-Meister Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Mid-Michigan Age: 57 Posts: 402	I don't build guitars but have stripped & finished plenty of furniture and also have finished a lot of new wood. The only bad experience I ever had was with Polyshades. I got streaking, didn't matter what I did, I hated it. That was probably at least 10 years ago. Maybe I had a bad batch, or maybe they've improved it...but if it were me, I'd do the stain/finish thing in separate steps. No big deal that way anyway.

May 20th, 2008, 12:08 PM	#10 (permalink)
po-boy Tele-Meister Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: dees, alabama Posts: 140	tried to use it once when refinishing table and chairs set - hated it - very hard to control and very uneven finish - had to strip it off and re-sand - never tried it again - wouldn't even consider using it for a guitar finish - have had much better results with minwax stains, wipe on poly and antique oil finish - - i'm not a complete idiot ... some parts are missing -

May 21st, 2008, 01:48 PM	#12 (permalink)
boris bubbanov Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: New Orleans, LA + in the past Posts: 5,864	People keep giving me the cans of Polyshades, and I take them to a volunteer service that donates them to those rebuilding here on a dime. I'd intended the use the product as the poly coating over objects that were already very dark or black, but I ran out of needs for the stuff, as it does not tolerate ultraviolet light, I find. __________________ Bubban0v

May 24th, 2008, 03:36 AM	#13 (permalink)
Holdfast! NEW MEMBER! Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 5	I wouldn't do it. I considered it once and checked in with my very talented woodworking buddy - who I've often see use minwax products and thinks fairly well of them - and he said that among the guys he works with, Polyshades is universaly reviled and he hates it. I'm just sayin'.