These Minwax people... I tell ya, the colour I wanted is all there, but the sheen and basic levelness of the finish sucks. What I have is 2 coats of MinWax Polyshade on cherry. Absolutely love the colour as my test-piece indicated I would. But I'm spoiled. I like my finished looking like a french rub. 33% sheen, level, deep, clear and rich. I know how to do that with NGR and sanding-sealer and lacquer (cat), but got lured into this Polyshade quagmire. The stuff just won't lie down with an even sheen. Yup tried almost everything on my test pieces including Penetrol. I have always been really proud of my finishes, now it is my turn in one of the bathrooms, and I stray. Woe is me. No cigar or biscuit. Bad dog.
Soooo.... anybody ever try to blow catlacquer on polyshades? Am I cruising for the Sharpei look? All wrinkly?
I guess acrylic water bases lacquer is an option, I'm reasonably deft with that stuff. Did I just say deft? Deft? Will that work?
I think I would replicate your crappy finish on a test piece and try shooting the lacquer over it to see how it behaves. It wouldn't surprise me if the lacquer caused unwanted behavior. Cats and dogs living together; that kind of thing.
It is poly over lacquer that is a problem. The other way around is all ok. I would scuff the poly so the lacquer lays down OK.
Of course testing would be the prudent approach but it is the fact that lacquer and be disolved that makes laying a solvent based finish over it creates wrinkles as the two mediums dry at a different rate. Once poly is dry, it is done. Only flame will soften it.
Polyurethane once it's thoroughly cured will put up with a lot though.
Personally I'd shoot a couple of coats of clear Minwax poly over it on the basis that it's the same system and Minwax says that they work and play well together, and work my hand rubbed on that if I couldn't get an as-sprayed that I liked.
I like that. I think that's great advice. Keep in mind you won't know how you actually fared for a couple of months. You will need the Minwax try cure out for about 21 days to hit hard before coating with the lacquer, then another 21 for the lacquer to do the same. Then you can inspect for witness lines, wrinkles, tiny bubble from outgassing, etc.
Now that I would say no to doing. Remember, when clear finishes cure out, they leave behind resins, nothing more (except maybe flatners). So you will have a clear layer of plastic polyresin cured out to solid plastic on the wood. Due to the lack of porosity of polyurethane resins (they are waterproof, right?), I wouldn't even try adding a layer of dissimilar plastic film over it.
I don't think old faithful will pull you out here. Remember, unless it is their line of poly, the DEFT product is just a nice behaving lacquer.
I have a couple of thoughts.
First, if your project is small enough to do this, you might get on this:
formatting link
was a much discussed topic a while back on different boards as some instrument makers are changing from lacquers to poly finishes on some instruments.
Although I can't find the damn picture, I had one at one time where Jeff Jewitt polished out a polyurethane table top to where it looked like a mirror. It was poly, and followed a variation method as mentioned above. They actually put a can of poly on the table top and took a picture; the reflectivity made it look like two cans.
In order to get enough material to polish down, you will have to add more build coats so you can cut down to smooth with your abrasives.
The other thought.... why not buy Minwax gloss poly and go over the top of the existing finish. You could lightly scuff sand, then apply several thin coats of gloss as per manufacturer instructions. Then you wouldn't lose your color and would build a bit of depth to the finish.
If you started with the gloss poly first, you could add until you had about 7 - 9 mils thickness. If it wasn't sufficiently shiny or glossy, then you could try the polish.
*S*... the Abralon Church meets @...???? That stuff is undoubtably the very best sanding/polishing materials on the market. With the right progression of Abralon, I can make Onyx Black solid surface shine like it is wet. I have even buffed out scratches from the dustcover of my turntable.
Minwax gloss coming up..... stay tuned. Thanks for all the input
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here.
All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.