Has anyone had experience with Minwax’s Performance Series Fast Drying gloss varnish ?
I just got the first coat on a walnut table top and its not pretty. I have been using varnishes since the 1970s and have never seen anything like this.
It dried so fast that a backbrush stroke grabbed and pulled – about 2 seconds – faster than brushing lacquer.
I finally thinned it with naptha to slow down the drying and got through the process, but it was a challenge. The outcome is terrible, brush and drag marks all over. I have used the satin version of this and it ain’t great, but was workable.
Anyone have any idea what type varnish this stuff is?
CM
Replies
Ewww. Sorry. I generally dislike stuff that dries too fast. That stinks.
I’m pretty sure the varnish isn’t the issue it’s the accelerator that is the cause. That said Minwax has been changing the overall structure of the products.
This was purchased last year. I bought a can of the satin version at the same time and it worked much better - not the way I would expect, but better.
I have not used Minwax products in years, as I will not use polyurethane nor acrylics, and I only use dyes for color. I don't like they way they look when rubbing out. I bought these as I saw them in the Sherwin Williams store and was told there would be no more oil based varnishes after Jan. 2021. Won't be buying these any more.
After it dried overnight, I wet sanded it flat and put on a coat of Benjamin Moore's gloss spar, which I use for my bamboo fly rods.
The BM went on beautifully, just as I expected.
No more Minwax.
I asked about this and it's a non-poly varnish. It's the successor to Sherwin-Williams Fast Dry (non poly) varnish.
I posted a review on the Minwax website. You would not believe the response: "That does sound like an unusually fast drying time."
Duuuuuh !
No experience with the brush on stuff, but I highly recommend Mike Pekovich's FW article on wiping varnish. I use wiping varnish all of the time to great effect.
Also, if you get brush strokes just let it dry completely and then sand flat with 220, 320, then 400 grit. Hell, given that varnish is a layer finish, I would just keep applying coats of the brush varnish over the strokes until you are satisfied with the layers, THEN sand flat. No reason to muck about with the product before completing all of the layers.
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