question about miniwax stain and rub on poly.

Guitartom_ca · April 19th, 2008, 03:49 PM

I have a piece of poplar i plan on finishing with stain and rub on poly because that is what i have on hand. If it turns out that i don't like this. Can i spay paint over the poly. or will i need to sand it down to the wood again?
there is a paint store near here that sells krylon paint. Is there and particular kind of paint i should ask for?
Thanks.

I forgot to mention the the miniwax stain i have is not just stain that you put on the wood and then rub off. It is a stained finish you apply just like any poly.

martyb1 · April 19th, 2008, 04:20 PM

I can't say for sure about painting over the wipe on but there has been lots of talk about sanding down a poly coated body and not going all the way to the wood and using it as a grain filler.I'm sure one of the experts will chime in.
As for the wipe on over the stain,be careful.You might want to get a can of spray minwax poly for the first coat.Wiping poly over stain will cause your stain to mix with the poly and make a not so good looking finish.Rob is the resident expert on wipe on.Check out his website.There are some great tutorials there
Fret Tech

Ronkirn · April 19th, 2008, 09:35 PM

yep, generally you can spray over well cured Poly... most fillers used today are a urethane based product.

However to be on the safe side, while your finishing your guitar, finish a scrap of wood with the same method... set it aside, then if you decide to re-finish the guitar you can spray a test on the scrap first to see what happens... I'm betting nothing does..

Ron Kirn

emisilly · April 20th, 2008, 01:37 AM

If the poly is nice and cured you can shoot paint on it without any problems. Really you don't even need a primer. Simply rough up the poly treated surface with 400 grit, wipe down with naptha to clean it and you are ready to paint. I have done this several times with zero issues. Easy as can be. Of course you will have to put a finish on the paint to get the best result. I've always used Deft laquer, which is a true nitro. You can get it at any Lowe's. BTW, Krylon is my paint of choice. They make some fantastic colors that go great on guitars!

Lots of refinish threads here if you do a search. You might also want to PM Jwells. He's done a ton of refinishing and when I was a newbie he helped me a ton with sound advice.

April 19th, 2008, 03:49 PM	#1 (permalink)
Guitartom_ca Tele-Meister Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Canada Age: 34 Posts: 196	question about miniwax stain and rub on poly. I have a piece of poplar i plan on finishing with stain and rub on poly because that is what i have on hand. If it turns out that i don't like this. Can i spay paint over the poly. or will i need to sand it down to the wood again? there is a paint store near here that sells krylon paint. Is there and particular kind of paint i should ask for? Thanks. I forgot to mention the the miniwax stain i have is not just stain that you put on the wood and then rub off. It is a stained finish you apply just like any poly. Last edited by Guitartom_ca; April 19th, 2008 at 04:59 PM.

April 19th, 2008, 04:20 PM	#2 (permalink)
martyb1 Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Alberta,Canada Age: 44 Posts: 1,577 13 Photos	I can't say for sure about painting over the wipe on but there has been lots of talk about sanding down a poly coated body and not going all the way to the wood and using it as a grain filler.I'm sure one of the experts will chime in. As for the wipe on over the stain,be careful.You might want to get a can of spray minwax poly for the first coat.Wiping poly over stain will cause your stain to mix with the poly and make a not so good looking finish.Rob is the resident expert on wipe on.Check out his website.There are some great tutorials there Fret Tech __________________ Before throwing it out,make sure it's not 16x13x1.75

April 19th, 2008, 09:35 PM	#3 (permalink)
Ronkirn Friend of Leo's Join Date: May 2003 Location: Jacksonville, FL Age: 62 Posts: 2,745	yep, generally you can spray over well cured Poly... most fillers used today are a urethane based product. However to be on the safe side, while your finishing your guitar, finish a scrap of wood with the same method... set it aside, then if you decide to re-finish the guitar you can spray a test on the scrap first to see what happens... I'm betting nothing does.. Ron Kirn __________________ A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have. – Thomas Jefferson Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you! -Pericles (430 B.C.)

April 20th, 2008, 01:37 AM	#4 (permalink)
emisilly Tele-Meister Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Virginia Beach Posts: 485	If the poly is nice and cured you can shoot paint on it without any problems. Really you don't even need a primer. Simply rough up the poly treated surface with 400 grit, wipe down with naptha to clean it and you are ready to paint. I have done this several times with zero issues. Easy as can be. Of course you will have to put a finish on the paint to get the best result. I've always used Deft laquer, which is a true nitro. You can get it at any Lowe's. BTW, Krylon is my paint of choice. They make some fantastic colors that go great on guitars! Lots of refinish threads here if you do a search. You might also want to PM Jwells. He's done a ton of refinishing and when I was a newbie he helped me a ton with sound advice.