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eternal
 
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Default Kitchen Cabinets + Minwax Polyshades

I'm a total amateur when it comes to stains and woodworking. I redid
the trim in a couple rooms and decided, "Hey, I can redo my 50 year old
kitchen with some patience and a little elbow grease." I went down to
the Home Depot, picked up some minwax polyshades, an orbital sander, a
few brushes and got to work.

After taking the doors and drawers out and sanding them (first with 60
grit, then 150), I started applying the stain. I should note that the
first thing i did was test the product against a sample piece of wood.
I "painted" it on thick and let it dry. I liked the color, but it came
out really thick & gloppy. I figured it was my technique so i googled
on how to apply stains and learned about wiping (apply stain, wait 5-15
minutes, wipe off stain with paper towels). This is contradictory to
the stain instructions (and a total pain if the stain starts to dry,
and it dries quick), but i figured they made the instructions sound the
easiest to help sell the can. I thought I was doing it the harder, but
"right" way

Two coats of stain later I started thinking that maybe I should've
researched the product a bit more (as in, at all). My coats are coming
out uneven and it just doesn't "feel" right. I went on google now and
came across a number of posts on this board telling me what crap the
product is.

My question is, what do i do now? The product is starting to look a bit
better with the second coat, but would i be better served using a
different product to help me even out the staining? Or is it too late
to do that? Should i just apply a couple more coats?

is the problem in my technique? Should i follow the instructions, apply
a thin coat with a foam brush, and just let dry?

Also, when I'm done, should i apply a coat of clearcoat to protect it,
or should i figure that the polyshades is enough?

What a pain. I wish i would've researched the product a bit more
before.

I appreciate any help.

Cheers



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Posted to rec.woodworking
Lobby Dosser
 
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Default Kitchen Cabinets + Minwax Polyshades

"eternal" wrote:

I'm a total amateur when it comes to stains and woodworking. I redid
the trim in a couple rooms and decided, "Hey, I can redo my 50 year old
kitchen with some patience and a little elbow grease." I went down to
the Home Depot, picked up some minwax polyshades, an orbital sander, a
few brushes and got to work.

After taking the doors and drawers out and sanding them (first with 60
grit, then 150), I started applying the stain. I should note that the
first thing i did was test the product against a sample piece of wood.
I "painted" it on thick and let it dry. I liked the color, but it came
out really thick & gloppy. I figured it was my technique so i googled
on how to apply stains and learned about wiping (apply stain, wait 5-15
minutes, wipe off stain with paper towels). This is contradictory to
the stain instructions (and a total pain if the stain starts to dry,
and it dries quick), but i figured they made the instructions sound the
easiest to help sell the can. I thought I was doing it the harder, but
"right" way

Two coats of stain later I started thinking that maybe I should've
researched the product a bit more (as in, at all). My coats are coming
out uneven and it just doesn't "feel" right. I went on google now and
came across a number of posts on this board telling me what crap the
product is.


No matter what you have purchased, or thought about purchasing, someone
will always tell you it is crap. Sometimes they are right and sometimes
they are wrong.


My question is, what do i do now? The product is starting to look a bit
better with the second coat, but would i be better served using a
different product to help me even out the staining? Or is it too late
to do that? Should i just apply a couple more coats?

is the problem in my technique? Should i follow the instructions, apply
a thin coat with a foam brush, and just let dry?


1. I've used the stuff on a small project - oak.
2. I went to 220 with inital sanding.
3. It likes a very light coat.
4. I 'sanded' between coats with a steel wool substitute.
5. The results were fine.

What are you doing *between* coats?


Also, when I'm done, should i apply a coat of clearcoat to protect it,
or should i figure that the polyshades is enough?


That's what the *poly* part is supposed to do. My experience is so
recent, I have no ide how long it will do it.


What a pain. I wish i would've researched the product a bit more
before.


That sometimes leads to analysis paralysis. Sometimes it's better just to
get going. Even if you have problems, you learn.


I appreciate any help.

Cheers





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Posted to rec.woodworking
Rumpty
 
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Default Kitchen Cabinets + Minwax Polyshades

Forget the polyshades, get the stain color of your choice, stain, then top
coat with a finish. If you want to use any solvent based poly, you MUST
have adequate ventilation and wear a respirator.

R


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Leon
 
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Default Kitchen Cabinets + Minwax Polyshades


"eternal" wrote in message
oups.com...

Snip


After taking the doors and drawers out and sanding them (first with 60
grit, then 150),


An improperly prepaired surface will make a stained finish look terrible.
You need to go from 60 to 80 to 100 to 120 to 150 and skip no grits.


Snip

Ditch the Polyshades. IMHO only good for painting. Yeah I know, Polyshades
is not a paint.

Try, a good brand first. May I suggest, General Finishes, Bartleys, Zar.

Also try a Gel stain. Wipe it on, IMMEDIATELY wipe it off.

Finish up with a varnish of your choice to protect the finish. Usually 3 or
4 coats.




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Ron Magen
 
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Default Kitchen Cabinets + Minwax Polyshades

Tim,
First, 'Kitchen' is the key word. This is an area that I feel *REQUIRES* a
'working finish' . . . as opposed to 'Fine Furniture' {to quote my wife !!}

I've used a number of products {Minwax among them} that the purists say are
'Crap'. A little experimentation, a little thought, and they are fine. It's
just something else to have in your repertoire to suit different situations.

I DO agree {having learned that lesson a LONG time ago}that just laying it
on like paint {or *uncolored* poly can result in unplanned results . . .
especially with a dark Mahogany!! The good thing about this type of 'stain'
is that it is basically a 'pigment' product. It doesn't go deep into the
wood - as a DYE does. Therefore it is *relatively* easy to remove.

Anyhow,
a} Sand well - 220 at least
b}Brush, Tack cloth, Vacuum the dust away
c}Brush on a thin EVEN coat . . . I use disposable foam brushes . . .
the CHEAP ones.
d}Let dry . . . WELL. The LIGHTLY sand with 320. {swipe with a wet
finger to see the 'finished' color}
e}If not as dark as required, give it another coat, dry, sand with 320.
f} If color now to your liking . . . give it a thin, even coat of
WATERBASED CLEAR Poly. {with the same type, or maybe a little
better, foam brush}Let dry completely, then lightly sand with
400
g}Repeat the 'H2O' Poly at least 2 more times . . . sanding with 600 and
Synthetic FINE wool {'3M Pad'}.
h} As a final step . . apply a couple of well-buffed out coats of paste
wax.

This is a similar schedule to finishing the brightwork {Varnished} on a
sailboat. The H2O Poly is about the hardest & most impervious finish that is
easy to apply. The wax will give a slick surface that will keep a lot of
dirt, etc. from sticking and is simple to maintain.

This is how I did a Maple-topped kitchen cabinet for Joanne . . . about
5-years ago. No maintenance and it looks like the day I finished it.

Regards & Good Luck,
Ron Magen
Backyard Boatshop



----- Original Message -----
From: "eternal"
Newsgroups: rec.woodworking
Sent: Tuesday, January 10, 2006 03:44
Subject: Kitchen Cabinets + Minwax Polyshades


I'm a total amateur when it comes to stains and woodworking. I redid
the trim in a couple rooms and decided, "Hey, I can redo my 50 year old
kitchen with some patience and a little elbow grease." I went down to
the Home Depot, picked up some minwax polyshades, an orbital sander, a
few brushes and got to work.
SNIP





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Posted to rec.woodworking
eternal
 
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Default Kitchen Cabinets + Minwax Polyshades

What are you doing *between* coats?

A quick rubbing with 000 grade steel wool.

The biggest problems i see are just unevenness in the color. Did you
use a foam brush and not wipe off? I think I might try that next.

  #7   Report Post  
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eternal
 
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Default Kitchen Cabinets + Minwax Polyshades

A big color problem shows up around corners and trim, where the color
seems to be much darker. Is there a trick to this? Am i just not
rubbing it off well enough?

  #8   Report Post  
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Stephen M
 
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Default Kitchen Cabinets + Minwax Polyshades

I figured it was my technique so i googled
on how to apply stains and learned about wiping (apply stain, wait 5-15
minutes, wipe off stain with paper towels). This is contradictory to
the stain instructions


The biggest problems i see are just unevenness in the color. Did you

use a foam brush and not wipe off? I think I might try that next.



Did you wipe off the polyshades? If so, that's a big part of the problem.
Polyshades is not a stain, it is a toner. Toner is a top coat finish with
color *in* the finish. Stain is made to be applied directly to raw wood.
Toner colored finish that can be built either directly on the wood or over
other coats of finish. Even application is the only way to get even color
with a toner.

Try thinning the polyshades a bit. The lower viscosity will allow you to
apply a less thick (avoiding the word "thinner" to avoid confusion) coat. Of
course you will have to apply more coats, but any unevenness due to drips
runs or poor technique will be less.

-Steve




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eternal
 
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Default Kitchen Cabinets + Minwax Polyshades

I did wipe off the polyshades. It just seemed so thick without wiping
it.

Because I'm 1-2 coats into the project, I think my plan now is to apply
a very thin coat of polyshades using a foam brush and just let it dry.
Hopefully one more coat will do it. Afterwards, I'm going to apply a
coat or two of clearcoat, "sanding" with steel wool between coats.
Hopefully this will clear out the color inconsistencies and not require
me to strip everything i've done so far. Seem reasonable?

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vdubbs
 
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Default Kitchen Cabinets + Minwax Polyshades

In my experience, I use stain then a clear coat. Never have had real
good luck with stain and clear coat together.

My last project, a window shelf/curtain hanger, I stained and then used
water based poly. Fantastic results.

Water based poly has come a long way since it was first introduced. I
use a cheap foam brush to apply thin even coats, let dry sand with at
least 220 and then reapply.
Adding the coats of wax sounds like a very good idea as suggested
previously, especially in a kitchen.



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eternal
 
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Default Kitchen Cabinets + Minwax Polyshades

I just went over most of it with a real thin coat of polyshades using a
foam brush and it looks a lot better. I think i will finish everything
that way.

Next question, how does the spray on poly work? is it worth it to use
it?

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Stephen M
 
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Default Kitchen Cabinets + Minwax Polyshades

Because I'm 1-2 coats into the project, I think my plan now is to apply
a very thin coat of polyshades using a foam brush and just let it dry.


I assume the polyshades is oil-based. Make sure you add a little thinner.
The lower viscosity is what makes putting on a thin coat easy. Start with
about 10% thinner and add a little more if it seems necessary.

Hopefully one more coat will do it. Afterwards, I'm going to apply a
coat or two of clearcoat, "sanding" with steel wool between coats.


Clear coat, in this case is the same thing as the top coat except withou a
little color. You don't need it.

Hopefully this will clear out the color inconsistencies and not require
me to strip everything i've done so far. Seem reasonable?


Yup.


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Josh
 
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Default Kitchen Cabinets + Minwax Polyshades

The spray-on poly works really well. It's more expensive to buy it in
spray-cans than by the quart, but you can do nice thin coats without
brush marks or drips. Just sand with a really fine grit in between
coats.

If you haven't done your final coats of Polyshades yet, consider buying
yourself a cheap air brush (I got one for $29 at HD or Lowes) or HVLP
gun (Harbor Freight has one for $45 or so) that you can hook to your
compressor, if you have one. A big chunk of that cost could be made up
by the fact that you wouldn't have to buy the clear finish in spray-can
form. The air-brush technique works really well with the polyshades
because you are applying it very thinly, and you have a lot of control
over how dark it goes on. When starting from scratch you can just
apply it in thin even coats until you reach the desired color depth.
In your case, you already have some areas that are darker than others.
With the air brush, it's a lot easier to selectively coat the lighter
areas, avoid the dark ones, and generally even up the color over all.
There's a lot of overspray, though (not so much with the HVLP gun) so
definitely make sure you have good ventilation and where a respirator.
And don't do it in your garage right next to your vintage mustang ;-).

There's no need to do additional layers of clear finish unless you
effectively have fewer than three coats of the Polyshades (keep in mind
that you wiped most of it off on your initial coats).

By the way, it's not so important with oak, but for woods which tend to
absorb stain very unevenly (pine, maple, etc.), results tend to be
better when using a sprayed-on die or toner like Polyshades than with
traditional wiped-on stain. The only real disadvantage is that a nick
or scratch which removes the finish will show bare light wood
underneath; with wipe-on stain the color penetrates fairly deep into
the wood.

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external usenet poster
 
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Default Kitchen Cabinets + Minwax Polyshades

its a good product but not for a rag or brush in my opinion, i just
sand with 220 then clean, mask it off and hit it with a a gravity
feed lvlp cup gun, then walaaa new cabinets , stoked!!! :nod:

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