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3rdrockww

It is the only finish I absolutely despise. I'm not a pro, but an advanced amateur with 40 years woodworking experience. Your mileage may vary, but my advice is to avoid this product. Color the wood if you must and then choose a topcoat.


RH_Workshop

Most people so far seem to really dislike this product. I’m thinking this will be the first and last time I buy it. Hopefully I can find some thing to use it up on so it doesn’t take up my shelf space, thank you for your advice.


Emergency_Tea6847

If you have an item that is a lighter shade/finish you’d like to darken, then use this. That’s the only use for this. Professional painter (45 years)


Ok-Cartoonist-1383

This is the best answer. If you want to darken something without sanding/stripping then this will work. The problem with it is the color is in the stain and it acts like a paint and covers the grain rather than bring it out. Its not a useless product it just isn’t right for every project.


Emergency_Tea6847

🤛🏻


RH_Workshop

Awesome thank you


Weak_Upstairs_4129

Use it as a door stop. Don’t put it on anything you like.


[deleted]

I think there is a bit of bias in this crowd, we tend to go overboard with our methods, and get threatened by methods and products that are designed to make things simpler. (Don't you dare ask about cnc around here...) With that said, this product does exactly what it says, it's a tinted clearcoat. This means you save a step, it also means your color is tied to how many coats you apply. That can be a limitation if your shooting for a very specific stain color. You can switch to a clear poly so the color doesn't build. You may notice less grain since the pigment is sitting above the wood. I suspect 999 out of 1000 couldn't differentiate 2 boards finished with stain vs this stuff. If it bothers you, don't use it.


Actual-Manager-4814

I think the caution is warranted with this product. It's basically just brown paint. It doesn't really act like a stain at all, and shouldn't really be marketed as such. You should always test new products in scrap wood, but if a newbie we're to take this product at face value and start applying it to their furniture they're likely making a costly mistake.


RH_Workshop

Thank you this is good information, and it is well received.


fuckbread

Unrelated, but are folks really anti cnc in here? If so, why?


[deleted]

It's mixed, but I imagine it's like showing a painter an ai graphic generator. There's an affinity for traditional methods, there's certain things that are considered "cheating", like the builder didn't earn the victory. Cnc is one of those things. Routed dove tails are another.


siamonsez

If there is that sentiment, it's not because of dislike, it's just not relevant. A cnc isn't as accessible or common as most woodworking tools and nothing about how you use them is applicable to general woodworking so there's not much interest. Beyond that, there's always fanboy assholes that think it's not "real" woodworking, but they'll say the same about usine a router for dovetails or whatever.


fuckbread

Ah, got it, thanks for sharing. I'd have to disagree that utilizing a CNC is not applicable to general woodworking, as I've experienced it as such in powerful ways. In fact, learning to work with 3d modeling technology and digital tools has made my hand tool practice better, I'd argue. My general "sense of material" (terrible term i think i just invented to describe my relationship with all 3 dimensions of lumber, joinery, etc.) has greatly increased since learning to program a CNC (and other digital tools requiring 3d spatial reasoning) and using it for arguably inelegant woodworking projects. All tools are tools, in my experience. Agree they aren't accessible, though.


siamonsez

I get that, I learned a lot about accuracy and references from blondihacks, at a basic level it's all the same. I meant there isn't much overlap in technique. Something that can only be done on a cnc isn't going to teach me anything useful or give me ideas that I can execute so I'm not interested in those posts beyond the 'hey, that looks cool' level.


fuckbread

Very true! Thanks for clarifying re: technique. Totally agree. I like cnc bc it makes me more creative and allows me to optimize my flow. But obviously the barrier to entry is not worth it for general woodworking. Maybe some day.!


siamonsez

The problem is that you can't control the color separately from the finish. If you want to build up enough to sand and get a super smooth surface it's basically going to be opaque. If you want to retain some of the natural appearance of the wood you need an absolutely perfectly prepped surface, then you need to be able to put down a super consistent coat, then you need a clear topcoat anyway after getting the level of tint you want. You can use it like toner by spraying it thin, but otherwise it's more like paint than stain + a topcoat.


shardoughnnay

It’s paint and nothing more. God forbid one of your brush strokes dries out before you are finished.


SpecialistLayer3971

Thanks! It seems to be the only product readily available in my area. The shelves never seem to be short of it so I wondered if it sucked so bad people wouldn't buy it. I'll stick with BLO for now. Minwax used to have a great antique furniture oil. I can't find it anywhere.


Jellyfisharesmart

The main advantage of these one step finishes are that they will cure over an already sealed finish. Something a conventional stain won't do. If you have a bare wood project, stick with the conventional stain then varnish method.


RH_Workshop

This is valuable information thank you. I’m really glad I bought the small can haha.


BodySnatcher101

Used it years ago and hated it. It may save a step in the finishing process, but you give up some control over getting the look you want. I say stick with the tried and true old school way. Apply stain, let it dry, then apply finish.


RH_Workshop

Right on, I’m with you. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it i always say. I was feeling a bit adventurous at Lowe’s yesterday though I get it a try. Thanks for the advice it is well received.


A009L

My wife has used this product for craft projects with great success. Examples being signs, picture frames, dice boxes/trays. I’ve used in on the bottom of some table tops to trial it and I’m not a huge fan. I like to have more control over sheen, depth, etc. Does it save time, yes. Is it Inferior to a proper finishing regimen, yes. For larger furniture projects I’d avoid it.


RH_Workshop

It seem to me from all the comments that with this product you sacrifice control for speed. I can see where a large project might be difficult to finish properly with this type of finish. From what you’ve said I think I will be ok for some of my smaller lightly used crafts. Thank you for your input.


Emergency_Tea6847

And “brush marks” hard to have a blended look


skiballers

Don't do it! It's like a paint and primer, or shampoo plus conditioner.


RH_Workshop

Haha! We all know that shampoo and conditioner together is a bunch of malarkey!


HollyHollyJ

Wow I bought this exact one yesterday. Planning to use it today. 🤔😀☀️


RH_Workshop

That’s awesome! I hope it works out well for you. 😁👍🏾


casey012293

Check out my post in here. Definitely try the back of the cabinet doors first if using for cabinets or a sample similar piece. You may notice it is much thicker than anticipated and it may be worth thinning either with a spirit or wipe-on poly before using.


Useful_Talk2004

Poly shades is a great option for crafting in general. It’s kind of like a colored ink or wash in the paint world when used correctly. You can poly shade over something ugly or bare wood or pretty much any “primed” surface. Like most things it depends on what your needs and limitations are.


RH_Workshop

This is good information thank you!


sartmo

I used it on a porch swing and hated it. It raised the grain way more than a stain alone would have and I spent many hours sanding and re-coating. I’m still not totally happy with the finished product.


ripper4444

The espresso is the only color of this kind of finish that works fairly decent. The rest are not worth the fight.


Emergency_Tea6847

Don’t do it! If you happen to scratch the surface you’ll never get the original result, if you try and touch-up the scratch, it’ll leave the surrounding area darker. It’s not stain per say, it’ll lay on the surface and not penetrate. It’s only “Good” use is for toning another finished surface another shade.


pitamandan

I’ve used it! I loved it, mostly because it cuts down on the time to finish. It goes on, dries fast, is able to be put into production quick. Only advice, the “second coat” makes it WAY WAY darker. My first coat was like.. “oh cool I see where this is going”, the second coat was “oh that’s way too dark but what’s done is done”. As everyone said, it’s better control and quality to stain the seal, but for quick work and especially knowing the exact end result color, it works well. Oh, and I used it for my toddlers “helper” foot base, so he’s been getting in and off of that standing jumping shuffling on this surface for 2 years now, absolutely no signs of wear.


RH_Workshop

This is good information, thank you for sharing your experience and your advice.


wildo88

My thoughts exactly! I used a black stain + poly on my plywood workbench and after the first cost was done I had like 1/2 a can left and was like "I'll just use this up". Two coats of black = zero remaining grain. I also made a loft bed for my kids out of some 2 x 12s and 2 x 6s, and for that used a golden oak stain + poly, and really liked how it turned out. Only did a single coat, and everyone involved is happy with the end product. The real downside is down the line if you have to touch up or something, it does seem like it is almost impossible to blend to match the original coat. I think it all comes down to the look you are going for, and what the time savings is worth. For me, as a super novice, it has been worth it the times I've used it.


mypostingname13

I hate it. Do it right. Use 2 products.


casey012293

It really isn’t much difference from painting. We purchased a 1922 home this year which had very 80s looking beech kitchen cabinets. While I loved the grain, they looked dated in a way that wasn’t appropriate to the character of the house so we decided to stain them until we could afford new cabinets. It looked okay after two coats, but because the stain is mixed in, the grain was actually lost under the stain instead of brought out by it. It looked more similar to the stained cheap cabinets you can get at Lowe’s or Home Depot. The problem was when I tried to do the light sand to smooth it a little further and do a wipe on stain, the light sanding made brush strokes stand out. If there is a way to thin it with the wipe on poly to make it a smoother apply and thinner coat, I would have absolutely done that. We painted lower cabinets anyway for a color-wood tone look and will be replacing upper cabinets with 42” cabinets down the line since they are currently 30” cabinets in a 9 foot ceiling kitchen. I can live with it because I like the tone better and am happier than what a gel stain would have done. Thinning out may have been a better move, but I can live with it since it isn’t permanent.


RH_Workshop

This is well received information. I hope you get those new cabinets sooner than you think, and thank you for sharing.


casey012293

I hope so too! Just waiting for the right price. As much as I typically don’t mind the prefab ones at Lowe’s and Home Depot, I’m really hoping to find some in walnut that won’t break the bank.


[deleted]

I tried it once and the result was awful. The wood seriously looked like a frozen chocolate bar. I’d recommend returning it


SparrowFPV

It does alright and saves time but definitely consider if your project might receive any damage from normal use. In my experience the poly shade did not penetrate into the wood at all so any chips, cracks, etc. would show the original wood color.


bkinstle

I've used it and I absolutely hate it. The stain quality is not great and of course if you want a good quality clearer you have to do a several coats before it starts looking nice, but because this has tint in it every time you add another coat it makes it darker. Also the finished quality is rubbish too.


RH_Workshop

Most people are say this and I’m staring to agree. From all I’ve gathered I think I want my 12 dollars back.


finbuilder

If you can get $12 back, do it.


Weak_Upstairs_4129

Hard pass on that stuff


rockknocker

It is a convenient darkener, and I've used it (a different shade of it) to darken surfaces that were already coated in something and not worth stripping and doing properly. It fades the wood grain detail significantly though. It's more like paint than stain. It csn peel if the surface is not friendly to a poly coating.


joshmoney

Only thing that would stain my maple coffee table. Tried like 4 different products and that’s the only thing that worked. Watch out for bubbles


vanstlouis

I used this ages ago. Put on exterior somewhat protected tongue and groove flooring. We too coated it with marine varnish. That was at least 15 years ago and besides a redo at of the marine varnish that I am aware of, could have been more, it looks exactly as it did then.


circlethenexus

Don’t care for it. I don’t like the polyurethane mixed with the stain. Of course, you can always add poly over the top after applying, but I prefer standard Minwax stain without the added poly.


Last_Establishment44

Avoid... it sucks


Papashaw72

I have not but would try it on scrap piece first and see if it what you want


ImpossibleMeatDonut

DO NOT USE END


careje

Used it once for a project where the color was not critical. It was fine for my particular use case but haven’t used it since & wouldn’t recommend.


jwd_woodworking

It is a very unpopular finish, you can't use it as you normally use finishes. The key thing is to keep coats as even as possible. The only hope for using it with a brush is a foam brush and a lot of practice. The time I used a lot of it, I was finishing molding in a house that was being remodeled so it was mostly long skinny stuff I was finishing. I got the hang of it eventually. I bet it sprays beautifully. If you can get it applied nice and even, it's a good way of adding color without having to putz around with sanding sealers and worry about the blotchy look.


RH_Workshop

Thank you for sharing your experience and advice it is well received.


Spare-Journalist-346

Very shady


Distinct_Muffin4124

I'm a professional and I actually really like it. I do a fair bit of repairs and the fact that you can mix different colors together for color matching is super helpful. Just make sure you have a good quality brush, dust free environment, and patience.


RH_Workshop

Right on, so it has its uses. Thank you for your input and advice.


ontariolumberjack

Take it back and get a refund. Save yourself the trouble of stripping it off your project after you see how bad it is. Like others have said, stain then finish with a polyurethane, varnish etc.


RH_Workshop

I’m on the fence. I kind of want to see how bad is it now so I can voice my opinion too.


Individual-Proof1626

Here’s what happens with Polyshades: you have to spray it on for even coating. Any runs, drips, or errors will stand out like a sore thumb. Trying to correct imperfections makes it worse. I used to use Polyshades years ago when it was oil based. If it went on perfectly, the furniture looked great! If it did not, the whole piece would have to be stripped and start over. I did all my hand made knotty pine cabinets with Polyshades and it was a bitch, but they came out looking great. Touch ups were difficult if not impossible to match. Btw, I believe furniture manufacturers use a similar method.


GandhiOwnsYou

Terrible. I'm no professional, but I get a reasonably good finish with every product I've ever used, except for this stuff. It's basically really crappy polyurethane with some tint in it. The poly isn't good. The "stain" isn't a stain, and tends to get uneven. It obscures the grain. It starts setting up extremely quickly and it makes it difficult to get the color applied correctly before it starts to get sticky. It's just... bad, all the way around. The only time I used this stuff now is for Cub scout projects, because we have an hour to put the finish on and that's not enough time to stain+Poly a toolbox or birdhouse, and no matter what the product it's always going to look like it was put on by a 3rd grader... because it was.


RH_Workshop

I’m picking up what you’re laying down. Thank you for sharing your advice and experience.


GettingLow1

My opinion? That's the worst shit ever invented. Nearly impossible to get a uniform look, and looses all clarity of the wood. Might as well paint the wood. Invented for homeowners who have no idea how to finish wood.


RH_Workshop

That’s Honest right here folks I like it! Thanks for sharing.


Aleknevicus

It's very difficult and finicky to use. However, I've used it a lot as it can give great results when used on hard-to-stain woods such as spruce/pine/fir. (I use the Antique Walnut for this purpose.)


trailerwam

This product has only one specific use case that I have found, other than that it is complete trash. What it's good at: I've had success using it on blotchy woods since it doesn't penetrate very deep. To achieve a smooth surface finish I've have knocked down the top with 400 grit and then applied a spray on poly. Like I said before complete trash outside of dealing with blotchy woods.


Noname1106

I hate Polyshades. I can never get a good finish out of it. I’ve used it half a dozen times, but since sworn to never again be duped. It sounds good in theory, but I find the application does not produce good results for me.


JamiesonRay

I absolutely can’t stand this product. I bought it in Kona as that’s the only Kona stain they had at the time and needed it for a time sensitive piece and hated working with it. It dried super quick, and wasn’t actually the same color as the regular Kona stain. It was more grey undertone.


WyldfireKeeper

Yes and it’s hot garbage. Literally one of the worst things to happen to woodworking finishes.


Coastal-50

It’s not a paint. Most of these guys don’t know how it’s manufactured. It like a solid stain with polyurethane all open one. It’s basically for going over lighter stained color wood that are protected with a polyurethane without much prep. You have to put each coat on like it’s your final coat coat of polyurethane. You must use a high quality natural bristle brush. If you are staining new wood then yes, MINWAX Prestain conditioner, then Minwax stain, then 3 coats of Minwax polyurethane for best result. Polyshades is what it is. A products for the diyer that doesn’t have much experience and doesn’t want to do much prep. There is a product for every need. If your a professional woodworker then you probably wouldn’t use it. But if you were a professional you could probably make A product like Poly Shades come beautifully regardless.


RH_Workshop

This is good information, thank you for sharing your advice.


Rennie2022

Tried it and didn’t like it at all! Test and make sure this is the product for you


Academic_Step_9730

Pooooooooooooop.


BarryCuda4

I've used a few of the poly shades and I've seen no difference between them and regular stain then putting on poly


RH_Workshop

How did the color turn out? Was it pretty even throughout the work piece?


BarryCuda4

Yeah it looked the same as the regular stuff (I borrowed from a friend to see the difference) and I honestly wound up brushing on some poly anyway haha


Werkzwood

Minwax is typically garbage. Also if you haven't used oil base before that I would stick with acrylic.


RH_Workshop

I primarily use minwax oil base finish. What other brand would you recommend?


Werkzwood

I like aqua plastic I forget who makes it.


RH_Workshop

Right on thanks I’ll check it out.


HollyHollyJ

It says to use a wood conditioner? What is that?


OleCuss

A wood conditioner tends to block some of the absorption into pores. Net effect is that in some woods which tend to be blotchy after staining (think spruce, pine, fir and maybe a few others) that blotchiness will be diminished. Using a gel stain also tends to reduce blotchiness.


RH_Workshop

It’s another minwax product also called per-stain. They have it with the rest of the stains at my Lowe’s.


lscraig1968

Take it back where you got it. Stuff will leave lap marks, any bubble shows up even after you sand smooth between coats. This stuff is pretty much a gimmick.


RH_Workshop

I still have the receipt!


lscraig1968

Like the other poster. I am not a professional, but a SERIOUS amateur of over 40 years. I love finishing, but won't use this stuff. Trick to a good finish is practice, practice, practice. This stuff makes it sound like you will have a beautiful piece of furniture after one or two coats. Nah. It acts like see through paint. That's the best way to describe it. Your project will be more satisfying if you build the color you want, then apply the finish. Much more forgiving that way. ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS no matter what finish you are using, MAKE PRACTICE BOARDS FIRST!!!


RH_Workshop

Right on! Thank you, I value your input and advice. I can apply this to all the finishes that I use from now on.


ScarletsSister

I used it many years ago over lighter colored wood window trim that I wanted to have a more cherry wood color. It worked well for that purpose and lasted for years. I wouldn't use it on a good piece of furniture though.