Hello readers, I have recently started selling instructions for some projects for sale on Amazon in Kindle format. Here is the link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UVXESCM
There will be more instructions put up for sale on Kindle and other formats shortly.
Thanks for your support!
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
Monday, March 9, 2015
Minwax PolyShades
Hello readers, today I would like to focus our attention on different finishes and stains for various projects. Last month I was wandering the paint aisles of the Lowe's where I currently work. There is a wide selection of brands, colors, chemicals and methods to choose from. However, I did not see Minwax PolyShades among the selection. I had heard of this a few weeks earlier and was interested in trying it out. It is a combination of stain and polyurethane finish and is supposed to be a faster process than more traditional methods.
So in my curiosity I decided to try it out. I purchased a very dark color, Bombay Mahogany, and I tested it on a mirror frame I threw together last week. I also tested it on some pine and oak scraps laying around my shop. There are a few problems I ran into with this wood finish. Unlike stain, it does not soak into the wood very easily. This was more of an issue for the oak as it is harder than pine. The finish ran into patches and did not go on evenly. The instructions state that a very thin layer is to be applied followed by a six hour waiting period. The problem here is that the thin coat hardly darkened up the pine or oak, thus to achieve the pictured color, many coats would need to be applied to the project.
That is just fine if you are willing to wait, as with traditional finishing methods. However, PolyShades is meant to be an easier process. I found it to be touchy and a bit more difficult. But one of the main uses is to change the color of already finished surfaces, which this product would be great for this purpose.
If you are interested in achieving a beautiful finish on your next wood project, I would recommend using traditional finishes and make sure you follow the instructions exactly. The finish of a project can create or destroy success, just make sure you study how to do your finish of choice.
So in my curiosity I decided to try it out. I purchased a very dark color, Bombay Mahogany, and I tested it on a mirror frame I threw together last week. I also tested it on some pine and oak scraps laying around my shop. There are a few problems I ran into with this wood finish. Unlike stain, it does not soak into the wood very easily. This was more of an issue for the oak as it is harder than pine. The finish ran into patches and did not go on evenly. The instructions state that a very thin layer is to be applied followed by a six hour waiting period. The problem here is that the thin coat hardly darkened up the pine or oak, thus to achieve the pictured color, many coats would need to be applied to the project.
That is just fine if you are willing to wait, as with traditional finishing methods. However, PolyShades is meant to be an easier process. I found it to be touchy and a bit more difficult. But one of the main uses is to change the color of already finished surfaces, which this product would be great for this purpose.
If you are interested in achieving a beautiful finish on your next wood project, I would recommend using traditional finishes and make sure you follow the instructions exactly. The finish of a project can create or destroy success, just make sure you study how to do your finish of choice.
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