Replies

1. 
   Splintie | Dec 22, 2002 05:23am | #1

   Er...the color IS painted on...

   I used that nasty stuff once in my callow youth, when a woman ordered a maple bed Right before finishing it, she showed up with a walnut-stained drawer front of cross-sanded and distressed pine, asking me to match that finish. I was too poor to go into an artsy snit at the time, so i used 2 or 3 coats of Polyshades and she seemed just fine with it. Too bad this board didn't exist then...i think i still have what was left...as a reminder of how bad woodworking can get. I've not been satisfied with any of the Minwax products i've tried.   

2. 
   garth | Dec 22, 2002 06:53am | #2

   I normally do not stain wood, but at the insistence of my wife I used polyshade on a project I was making for her. IMO one of the worst finish produces ever put in a can.

   Scott T.

1. 
   mfg_king | Dec 22, 2002 08:10pm | #3

   This is why I tried the stuff, this quote if right from The New Yankee Workshop website:

   "We are presently very impressed with results we get with a product by Minwax called "Polyshades" which combines stain with polyurethane. Their "Honey Pine" mix gives us the best old pine look we've seen yet. "

   I thought Norm was the all trusted master?

1. 
   HowardAcheson | Dec 22, 2002 10:46pm | #4

   It's junk.

2. 
   forestgirl | Dec 23, 2002 12:27am | #5

   While I'm far from a Norm basher (I actually enjoy his show, shhhhh!), his opinion of a nice finish and mine are miles apart.  There've been many times when I've wished I turned the TV off just before he starts applying finish, because IMO he just ruined a piece in that final step.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

3. 
   RW | Dec 23, 2002 12:46am | #6

   Ditto

   Ditto

   Ditto

   Ditto

   Used once to match a replacement piece of trim. What garbage. After putzing around with it for entirely too long, decided that if I rolled it with one of those little cigar foam jobbies, that was about as even as the product was going to get. Worse than snake oil.

   " You are young, my son, and as the years go by time will change and even reverse many of your present opinions. Refrain therefore awhile from setting yourself up as a judge of the highest matters." - Plato

1. 
   fdampier5 | Dec 23, 2002 02:29am | #7

   wait a minute guys,

          I've used polyshades and like it....

    In the right application.

      I had a bunch of old windows that had been stained a dark walnut.  some corners were white from frost and moisture some were black from the same. stripping turned everything a miserable greyish color.  Bleach made things worse.  I sprayed Minwax polyshades in deep bombay mahogany and was surprised at how it made those miserable windows look very respectable. 

     Spraying is the only way to apply it though, forget a brush or wipe-on.  And you'd better be a decent hand with the spray gun too because it's easy to run, hard to apply without streaking and needs several light coats (very light) to look good.

     Did the same with some old 6 panel doors and they really looked good as well.  Finally I sprayed all of the trim and moldings with it.  Suddenly  everything began to come together.  Instead of looking shabby and worthy only of throwing out I now have trim doors and windows that match and look acceptable.

     Now as fine furnature I'd rather not, thank you