Minwax oil over WB poly

The ambering from oil products is from it penetrating the pores. Hopefully the water based poly has sealed them. All you can do now is try a glaze, but it won't be the same. Hopefully your friend will learn to test a finish first.

He's an extremely good carpenter, who could care less about finishing. A "professional" finisher on a job told him about the virtues of Minwax WB poly.

Google tells me that I can put oil over water, if the water is fully cured and scuffed. Since the existing finish is over a year old, I'm going to give it a shot. I'm thinking that Seal Coat may also impart some color.

I was hoping someone had done it.

Umm, are you suyre about that? I see amber when I look into the can of an oil based varnish.

I believe the ambering is caused by the actual product.

If you put colorless mineral spirits on wood it will amber. Actual product?

Sat, Nov 4, 2006, 1:10am (EST+5) snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com (B=A0A=A0R=A0R=A0Y) doth lament: I have a pal who did his oak stairs with Minwax water based poly. It's ugly, the wood is simply dead looking. =A0 Can we go over it with oil based poly to add some ambering, possibly with Seal Coat in between?

Whatever you do, remember to try it on a scrap stairs first.

I'd use t he 800 number first, and see what the manufacture has to say. What about trying some WB with tint over it? I've used WB, not tinted, and it's worked out well for what I've used it on. You could alway paint. LOL

JOAT If you're not making a rocket, it ain't rocket science.

Yes mineral spirits are an oil based product. The more refined, the less amber you will see. Keep in mind also that brown woods will become more so with any clear liquid including water. Oil based will tend to make it amber more so.

Minwax says it's OK, via the web. However, they also say Polyshades look good.

It's not my house...

The issue with trying this on scrap is that the WB needs to be totally cured, as in 60+ days (Minwax), and I'd have to buy several products I have no use for.

The stairs are fully cured, so we're probably just going to take a whack at one step. If it doesn't work out, I'll try some tinting some shellac or WB with Trans-Tint or Tintall. I was trying to prevent reinventing the wheel.

I've seen home center WB look ok on birch and maple, but on the red oak stair treads, not so good...

I actually use a "water base lacquer" all the time, M.L. Campbell Ultrastar, on cabinetry, but it needs to be sprayed.