Replies

1. 
   BilWil | Jun 27, 2007 04:15am | #1

   It dries quickly.

2. 
   byhammerandhand | Jun 27, 2007 05:38am | #2

   comes in an attractive blue can. Matches my eyes 8-)

3. 
   Jfrostjr | Jun 27, 2007 04:03pm | #3

   I found NOTHING good about Minwax polycrylic.

   I finally settled on General Finishes WB ploycrylic. It dries quickly and leaves virtually no brush marks. Sands and buffs nicely. Source - Woodcraft.

   Frosty

4. 
   HowardAcheson | Jun 27, 2007 04:25pm | #4

   Waterborne acrylics are not as durable or protective as oil based finishes. They will raise the grain somewhat but that's not really an issue.

   On the plus side, they are water clear(non-yellowing), dry quickly and tool clean up is faster.

   Howie.........
1. 
   bigfnbrian | Jul 01, 2007 01:53am | #5

   Thanks for the info.

1. 
   byhammerandhand | Jul 01, 2007 02:42am | #6

   http://www.popularwoodworking.com/features/finish4.htmlThere are some good w/b finishes out there and some not-so-good ones.

1. 
   forestgirl | Jul 03, 2007 08:07pm | #8

   The article mentions "Some water-based finishes bond well over some oil-based stains before the stain has cured, but there's no way of knowing for sure without trying it. The variables are the resins and solvents used in the finish and how much oil is in the stain. "  Could a wash-coat of shellac between the two solve that problem?  Will water-base stick to that??forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-) 

1. 
   Joe | Jul 03, 2007 10:22pm | #9

   I did a test many moons ago using Fuhr 355 and shellac.Take a look: http://www.josephfusco.org/Articles/Fuhr_Finishes/Fuhr355_Color_Test_01.htmlhttp://joes-stuff1960.blogspot.com/

2. 
   forestgirl | Jul 04, 2007 06:20am | #11

   Hi, Joe, thanks for the link.  So, I take it not only was the color better (IMHO) but there were no adherence problems either?  Seems like one could put a coat of shellac over an oil-based stain and then follow with a WB finish.  Am I missing anything here?forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-) 

3. 
   Jfrostjr | Jul 04, 2007 04:11pm | #12

   FGI have always heard - "Shellac will stick to anything; anything will stick to shellac."
   ergo - your suggestion is correct.Frosty

4. 
   Joe | Jul 04, 2007 04:17pm | #13

   FG,Not that I know of ;-) I've been using MLC woodsong stains for many years under both MLC and Fuhr topcoats with no adhesion problems, ever.I have also been using shellac over the stains as well and haven't had any problems, but I have my own ideas about shellac anyway.;-)http://www.josephfusco.org/Articles/shellac_test/dewaxed_shellac.htmlhttp://www.josephfusco.org/Articles/Blotch_Stain/Blotch_Stain.htmlhttp://joes-stuff1960.blogspot.com/
   http://www.josephfusco.org
   http://www.josephfusco.com

5. 
   byhammerandhand | Jul 04, 2007 04:30pm | #14

   Just be sure the shellac is dewaxed. Seal-coat is an option if you want a solution in a can.

5. 
   PaulMassachusetts | Jul 02, 2007 04:43am | #7

   Polycrilic leaves no smell. If the inside of a box or cabinet is finished with something like Watco or "Tung Oil (oil/varnish mix) you get a chemical smell which is there forever. The chemical smell will contaminate the taste of foods stored (boxed chocolates) or give fabrics an off scent.  

6. 
   RMillard | Jul 03, 2007 10:26pm | #10

   I tried the Minwax product when it first came out and was very unhappy with it. That was almost 10 years ago, so some improvements may have been made.

   I recently tried some of the General Finishes High Performance water based top coat, on a table I was giving away (since it was a donation I thought it would make a good project for experimentation).

   It won't build as glossy as the Rock Hard varnish I normally use, nor is it as scratch resistant. On the plus side, the entire finishing schedule can be completed in about a week, compared to nearly a month with the Rock Hard. The water base poly went on nice, gave great depth to the grain, rubbed out easily, and is more scratch resistant than shellac.

   Rob Millard

   http://www.americanfederalperiod.com