Anybody used this product? I tried a test piece of cherry and was impressed with it. It;s not blotchy at all and tones the wood evenly. I don’t typically like to stain wood but the piece I’m working on is cherry and I want to minimize the contrast between the heartwood and sapwood. I seem to be getting the desired effect. It’s a table going in a dentist’s waiting room so I thought that called for polyurethane.
I imagine the more coats you use the more you would obscure the wood grain. So once I get the color I want should I switch to clear poly?
What do you think?
Thanks, Bret
Replies
all-in-one
I've never used it, so I can say. The concept, however, strikes me as similar to the paint-n-primer combos being marketed - perhaps not the best for the job. I prefer the idea of staining first, then applying the top coat of choice. Plus, I don't like satin finishes because of the particulate that creates the satin finish. I'd rather do a rub-down with pumice or rottenstone to cut the sheen to the desired level. But, I'm no finishing wizard by any means.
I tried some different stains on the cherry but I was disappointed with the blotchiness.
This colored finish did give nice even staining of the wood.
I agree with you about gloss vs. satin finish. gloss is more durable. Even more true with paint.
Thanks, Bret
Problems are what many people report after attempting to use PolyShades or similar stain/varnish combo's. On items of any size it's pretty hard to get even coverage without laps and streaks. A smallish sample can be easy, when a table top can turn into a nightmare. The principal of a pigmented topcoat is widely used in pro finishing, but that is with materials that are better suited for spray application. usually over sealed surfaces. .
I prefer to keep the color steps separate from the top coat. Since cherry darkens naturally I don't like to do much more than a little color enhancement, but doing that or going for a darker, already aged cherry look, is pretty well accomplished using dye. Dye , with no binder, is much less prone to blotching than ordinary pigment or pigment/dye stains. Then you have free choice over top coats. A good phenolic resin varnish would be tough, and much easier to recoat if needed down the road, than polyurethane varnish.
after further review
Steve,
After more tests I agree with your comments.
Thanks,
Bret
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled