I have used a lot of polyshades. My favorite is Minwax Gloss Pecan Poloyshades.
My only problem with polyshades is application. Most stains I brush on or wipe on and walk away. With polyshades I have a problem with it "gunking up". The way I do polyshades is I brush it on. I leave it for a few minutes, then I wipe it with a clean, lint free cloth. It produces a nice finish.
I use the gloss pecan polyshades because I like the look of it. In the end though, my personal verdict is that it really doesn't eliminate the need for polyurethane. After applying gloss pecan polyshades, I still apply a coat of polyurethane over that.

 

I have used polyshades. It is good on some woods. To me it is more like paint. The more you apply the more color you get. I like to spray it and have my best results like this. When I get the look I want I apply clear poly over the top for more protection. It is especially good for woods that splotch when you apply stains.

 

I've used it a few times and never really cared for the result, unless I was putting on a number of coats to achieve a very dark finish.

 

It's okay. Better with lighter colors since it won't have as much pigment in it. The more pigment, the more prone to problems you'll have in terms of color uniformity. Of course, this is true of any pigmented stain.

I would still follow it with a final coat of thinned poly. Because poly takes a while to dry (particularly in high humidity areas), it's susceptible to dust in the final coat. So, lightly remove the dust nibs with sandpaper or 0000 steel wool and then a final coat of thinned poly. The hand-rubbed poly product is already thinned, so it'll dry faster for a final, dust free finish.

 

I wouldn't use it like a stain, however. For stains, you apply then wipe off excess. Polyshades is supposed to be applied in a couple of thin coats…and left to dry, sanding lightly between. The poly finish will not allow you to wipe it off…and you'll end up gunking it up. So, in this way, it actually works like a toner (a tinted finish).

The hard part with this is getting it uniform across larger pieces…so it's not the best choice for those applications. And the more times you apply it, the harder it becomes to get right.

This product is intended to be used simply. If your application requires multiple adjustments to get it right, then it won't work as well. The exception is if you spray it and actually use it like a toner.

 

All I heard so far is that the products is crap. It will take forever to let dry with both of them mixed together.
Why do you need pigment and varnish mixed together?

 

I would have to go with charlieM1958 i used it on one of my boxes and it came out good but I think it could have been better, don't waste your money I say. Find something better to get the finish your looking for!

 

I used it on my son's toy box project and it worked well. I'm not sure I would use it for fine furniture, but it does have it's uses. Very easy to work with so that's really nice.

 

Steven:

My opinion…it's not crap. It is what it is…a two-in-one product made for the home consumer who refinishes an old table on a weekend, who generally lacks the patience for a good professional-like finish.

I think the notion that it's crap comes from guys like us who have finishing experience doing things the "right" way…and then we use this product and it doesn't react the way we'd like when we follow the instructions on the can (brush it on). The problem is compounded when we go with more pigment in the mix (darker colors) because it becomes harder to get an even result. But, IMHO, this is less an indictment of that product and more an issue with pigment stains in general. The vast majority of finishing problems come coloring wood with stains and I think it's sometimes hard for us to differentiate between that and using something like Polyshades.

The product is pretty simple in composition…polyurethane with a pigment-stain colorant. That, by any definition, is a "toner," and like most toners, if this product is sprayed it works quite well. Brush it on, per the instructions, and it's harder to work…but I've always found that to be true of poly anyway. Others must agree, which is why the thinned-down, wipe-on versions sell so well.

Find a table at an oak nightstand at a flea-market on Friday, and then sand it down and prep it on Saturday morning, after which you put a thin coat of classic golden oak Polyshades on it. Saturday night, you rub it down with some 0000 steel wool and put another thin coat on it. On Sunday morning, you put the nightstand by your bed and set your alarm for the next day. That's what this product is used for.

 

Oh, one more thing. Because it reacts like a pigment-stain "toner," it will really conceal the grain if used in multiple-coats (more so than normal). If you don't expect it, you'll likely call it "crap," since REAL crap would conceal the grain as well. Just a thought.

Toning with a dye-based toner is more transparent and won't conceal the grain as much…but that's neither here nor there.

 

I used this on a doll cradle I had made for my grandaughter. The cradle was mostly maple with some 5/16 dowels on the sides. This wood just isn't made for staining. I got the tinted varnish and shot on a couple of coats then some clear polyurethane. It looked good but there was no grain showing when this was all over. It has a place and that is probably not on a nice piece of furniture. I have used it on chair legs. The chair was upholstered with only 8 inch long wood legs showing. They had been kicked and scuffed. Poly stain was wiped on and it really dressed them up with little effort. No it wasn't perfect but for a high traffic area where someone has paid to have a chair upholstered it really made the chair look different.

 

My personal opinion, the product is crap. I used it on an oak coffee table and it looks horrible. Followed the directions on the can to the letter. Stain and Poly separately, it will be worth the extra time.

Chris.

 

It works and looks good if you can get it even. I had problems getting it to smooth out on the first couple layers. I went over it with 0000 steel wool, then put on the third layer which came out okay. Because of the stain, it does show when you get it thicker in some areas than others so it is difficult to get a good finish. I don't use it anymore. Here is a picture of the cabinet I used it on before and after. It did subdue the grain and figure a little, but as you can see, there is still plenty showing. I did like the warm tone it gave the wood. This is southern yellow pine with honey pine finish/stain.

 

I have used Polyshades on many different pieces. There are some tricks to using it. Keep it well mixed, stir don't shake. On flat surfaces I like to use a foam pad. I found that you can't really play with it to much. Put it on and leave it alone. Try and apply on horizontal surfaces to prevent sagging or running. Complex pieces with intricate parts and changes is direction can be difficult. I use painters tape to separate parts. For example the sides of a bookcase and the Bottom of the piece. I'll tape off the side of one and then apply Polyshades to the one that's not taped. Then reverse that after the first has dried. I built a Cherry Tall Clock for a MinWax Ad Ten years ago using their Natural Cherry Polyshades. Half of the clock was finished vertically with Polyshades and the other half has left natural. This was a fairly complex piece. I built the clock mostly assembled with hidden screws. I taped everything right down the middle took it apart finished the one side then reassembled. It looked great. I did the same thing with roll top type desk in Classic Oak. Sometimes I top coat the piece with Polyurathane after the Polyshades has dried.

 

I've used it Twice now. The First time and the Last time! It DOES conceal the grain. If you don't get it perfectly even it will show up AFTER it dries. Then what do you do? Live with it or Strip it and Start over?

What is the problem using Minwax Stain (Oil Based NOT Water Based) Brushing it on and working it in. 24 Hour Dry, 2/3 Coats of Wipe On Poly that dries in an hour, with 0000 Steel Wool in between, Vacumed off Well.

Is the purpose of Polyshades to save time? On a piece of Furniture that you're going to looking at for Years?

A Friend finished his New Office in a room that used to be a bedroom, about 8'x10'. He's NOT all that fussy. Asked me about using Polyshades on a Reclaimed 3/4" Oak Floor That I Helped? him lay.

NO! NO! I said. Why not he said. Faster than Stain, Poly, Sanding etc. So he did. Then he asked ME to Help him sand it all off and do it the right way. I went over and had a look. UGLY would be an Understatement!

A month later after he got the Hint that I WASN'T going to do it, he Hired a Company to do it for $1,100 Bucks. We don't talk much anymore. Guess it was MY Mistake. Go Figure!!

 

I ended up using the poly shades stain by minwax in the bombay mahagany color. It was alright but I wouldn't use it for my own projects. I will only use it if a customer of mine wants it used on their furniture. If you get it smoothed out good it looks alright but if you don't it looks like crap. And thanks for all of your replies.

 

I tried it, didn't like it.

 

I would hope that you would learn to use a REAL finishing product. Polyshades is not a finish so much that it is a "cover up". You'll muddy the color of the wood, and the more you add, the more you muddy.
Got any idea about what I think about that stuff?
Bill

 

I am using poly shade bombay mahagany on pine cabinets like everyone said their is a trick. What i did was condition the pine, apply a stain with dye wipe off excess, then spray poly shade with air brush to tint as needed, wow does it look good all the grain pops and has depth. Then 3 coats of poly semi gloss customer loves it he said looks like fine furniture. A lot of work but that is what it takes to make a project look good. When the project is built and sanded you are only have done the finishing is just as hard if not harder and takes longer than building the project

 

If you choose to use this product ,thin it a little flow it on fast , and don't over brush, but keep in mind it will lay in top and hide grain pattern, it will not bring out the true nature of the species of wood you are using

 

Oldhickory did it the correct way. I tried brushing it once and only once. It looked awful. I got out the gun and shot it on and I was pleasantly surprised. I feel like it has its place and it has to have the correct method of application. I said earlier that it was okay. Do I use it exclusively? No way. Not my first choice most of the time but when I get into one of those places where nothing else works either it is okay and I use it.

 

Polyshades is not a great first choice for most applications…especially for bare wood. Far better to stain and clear coat separately. It can work out ok on a prefinished piece where you just want to darken or alter the color a bit without stripping the whole piece. It worked best for me thinned with mineral spirits to slow drying, and as others have stated, don't over brush once its applied. Spraying is a method I've never tried but would like to experiment sometime.

 

Used it, didn't like it. Took forever to dry. Perhaps the coat was to heavy. Wiped it down with mineral spirits after 14 hrs drying time and got a good result, color wise, and it dried. I should have stuck with dyes and follow with poly.

 

Hi there Lumber Jocks,

This Lumber Jane has used poly-shades many times with good results. I agree with others that the product is best for small projects and for the home DIY'er although I have had many contractors specifically ask me to use poly-shades on certain projects like doors for example. I apply it to small projects and I try to place the surface to be stained horizontally (if possible) using a natural bristle brush. I take doors off the hinges and lay them on sawhorses. Depending on the shade I'm using, I apply multiple coats as per the directions of applying, letting dry, lightly sanding and re-applying. Once I have achieved the depth of color I want, I apply one final coat but this coat is applied with many long brush strokes back and forth. Even after I am done applying the final coat, I keep brushing long strokes from end to end with the same brush. This step causes the finish to polish-up to a nice shine as if you gave it a final poly only coat at the end but really you are just polishing with just the poly-shade product. The more you dry-brush, the shinier the final outcome. The long strokes prevents brush marks but if the object is too long for you to maintain long brush strokes, just lift the brush gently and slowly as you are moving it across the surface until it's completely off the surface and start again about 6 inches behind (overlap) from where you left off at by moving the brush as you set it back on the surface. It's a great way to save time for me and as I said, sometimes I am actually required to use the product.

 

I've used the pecan color with good results. I think I applied it with a soft brush and got a perfectly even finish. The problem with this finish is that its more like paint in the way that you are simply applying the finish to the surface and their is no absorption. The downside to that is if you chip the surface, bare wood will show through and repair might be harder to make it look good again. The benefit to it is that if you are using a blochy wood like pine, you'll get an even finish since the wood doesn't actually absorb the finish. It's not something I use anymore since I'm more comfortable with finishing, but it has its place.