min wax water base poly, good for beginners!

[nekshot]

My son got this can of min wax poly in water base and I could not resist in sticking my finger in the can and trying it out. Had a new stock laying here only stained so I gave it a go with water base poly. This stuff is not fair. A rookie can get a lovely hand rubbed finish in a few coats and it is easy. Dap finger in poly and apply to wood and rub it in. More coats the better. I had to make a repair to some wood grains and sanded back to bare wood. Did the repair and applied stain, after dry started rubbing poly into the repair and it is now impossible to find the fix. I am impressed. Don't know how it wears but I sure hope its as good wearing as applying.

[pertnear]

Thanks for the tip. I've been a Tru-Oil user forever, but water base sounds great, especially since I put on a lot of coats.

[bdicki]

I've used the water based before and comparing it to the original it didn't darken like the old stuff after time. So the piece that was coated with the water base does not match the rest of the room. I'll stick with the old fashion stuff or Minwax Antique Oil Finish.

[W.R.Buchanan]

I've also been a Tru Oil user for many years. The guy who did my Ithaca stock conversion used Min Wax Helmsman Spray. It looks beautiful.

I did the furniture on my A5 competition gun this time last year, and applied 6-8 coats with 2-4 hour intervals between, and curing in the Heater Closet in the house.

This stuff sprays on so fine you just about can't screw it up. It is the finest spray I've ever used and I intend to use it in the future for all my gun wood. It is just too easy to apply and the results are excellent.

I don't think it is the water based stuff but it is a Min-Wax product none the less. Virtually every wood stocked factory made gun is coated with some kind of Polyurethane finish nowadays.

We might as well follow suit.

Randy

[Wayne Smith]

The water based stuff is truly clear. There is no yellowing that you get with oil based finishes - and this disturbs some. Just be aware of it and make sure your wood is the color you want before you use it.

Randy, I believe the Helmsman line is a BLO based line intended for outdoor use - it never fully polymerizes and stays slightly soft, moving as the wood moves and not cracking. Or at least that is the idea, I haven't had a lot of luck with that application.

[W.R.Buchanan]

The A5 stock has 6-8 coats on it the Ithaca stock only has 2-3. Note; It has more of a satin finish than the A5 stock.

[tazman]

Beautiful work in both instances.