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On Aug 13, 1:25 pm, "Toller" wrote:
I am assuming your rub-on-poly is oil based. Waterbased will generally
look
pretty much the same after as it did before; while oilbased will,
depending
on the wood, darken it considerably.

Yes, it is oil-based. I used some water based polyurethane in a
previous project and had similar darkening happen. But I will give it
another go.

How do you use Minwas refinisher? I have a post a few down from you
about
stripping a black coating from bamboo...

How did I use it ? According to the directions- I cleaned the wood,
then rubbed the finisher in with steelwool, followed by another round
of wiping it off with clean steelwool and a tack cloth.


ANY varnish, oil based or water based is going to darken the wood. Plain
WATER will darken wood. Sprinkle some water on and see. Typically oil
based varnishes will add an amber tint to the surface that you are covering.
Water based varnishes tend to not add the amber color but as you have
witnessed will darken the wood.
Better refined oil based varnishes will look clearer in the can and have
less of the amber tinting effect.

If you want the wood to stay light colored I suggest no stain and or perhaps
a pickled/milk paint finish and then be prepared for it to darken some what
with what ever finish you use, oil, water, or alcohol based.

Look for a better product than Miniwax. I recently used an oil based gel
varnish made by Lawrence McFadden. For an oil based varnish it does not
tint the wood as much as the lesser quality oil based varnishes.