Minwax PolyShades Wood Stain + Polyurethane Finish – Quart, American Chestnut, Satin

If people purchasing this finish would keep that in mind, and follow the instructions on the can, most of the issues leading to bad reviews could be avoided. This wood finish product is not a stain, it is a tinted transparent polyurethane coat. Don't brush it on and try to wipe it off as you would a stain. It is not a stain. Don't expect it to penetrate bare wood in the way a stain does. It is not a stain. Do treat it as a varnish or polyurethane type of finish for the surface of wood. Use thin coats. Let it dry COMPLETELY before applying another coat. Sand lightly between coats if needed, especially if there are drips. Work fairly quickly and lightly brush the whole surface to even out a coat before letting it dry. If you're starting with bare wood, use a wood sealer first, or use a regular stain and clear coat instead of this product. The best use of this product is to change the color of finished wood without having to sand off the old finish completely. It will make a light color darker, but it will not make a dark color lighter, though the red-toned or yellow-toned colors can warm up a darker wood finish.I bought this because I'm in the midst of painting a spare bedroom. The closet doors date to when the house was built in the 70s. Their thin factory spray-on finish was looking dull and worn out, and the dark color was dated. The doors bore dings of hard use by kids and the finish had been marred by past by naughty male cats with territorial issues. I didn't have the budget to replace them, and while I thought about painting them white, I'd have to use primer and many coats, and do the rest of the woodwork to match, and that just didn't fit my timeline for having this done (though it's not out of the question for the future). All I wanted was something to freshen the color and brighten the finish. This product looked like just the thing. I chose the chestnut shade to add warmth to the dull dark wood. After sanding, I applied this with a disposable sponge brush. The directions on the can recommend a natural bristle brush, and that might work even better, but the sponge brush worked well enough. The closet doors took two coats. The bedroom door, which was in much better shape, looked great after one thin coat. The baseboards and window moulding took one coat, and the windowsill, which was weatherbeaten and bore lots of scratch marks, took considerable sanding and several coats to get a good finish. The result is woodwork with a nicer color and a fresh new shine. This is exactly the kind of thing this product is for, and it did the job very well.BE SURE TO VENTILATE THE ROOM WELL. This stuff is VERY fumy. I took the screen out of the window and put a large box fan in the window while I worked, which was adequate, but I still worked quickly and left the door to the room shut while the finish dried. Also, keep pets and small kids out of the room while the finish dries! Not only could the fumes be bad for them, but the finish will be sticky for at least five hours, and you don't want small handprints or clumps of pet fur marring your finish.

Regardless of your application of this product, it needs to be thoroughly mixed!!! The pigment sinks to the bottom of the can, somewhat quickly. There are videos on YouTube (spray paint mixer) which demonstrate how to make a mixer for aerosol paint cans, using a PVC pipe, and a pipe test plug, attached to a drill. You drop the aerosol can/Minwax Polyurethane Stain can into the pipe, and spin. The centrifical force mixes the paint/urethane-stain incredibly well, remarkably quick. This will ensure that the pigment is fully suspended in the urethane, before you open the can and begin using it on your projects.If the can is not properly mixed prior to use, the pigment will be mostly on the bottom, giving poor results. It will also lead to the can's contents hardening sooner, resulting in great waste of the product.Hand stirring will work, but you must be slow, and careful not to spill, when the can is full. Spinning it in a drill, with the PVC pipe, allows it to be thoroughly mixed, with the pull of a trigger. Cheers!

Follow the instructions, and you'll be very pleased. Did my bedroom dresser, which had a damaged finish. Let the product sit for 6 hours prior to removing impurities with 000 steel wool, and applying the finish coat. Turned out great.

I like it I hate it. First off make sure you mix it. I started using it without mixing it and it did apply as a varnish but as I got closer to the bottom the color got darker and darker. Also, I will note that I thought I bought a pint for $20. I must have misread it and bought a half pint, that's on me. If I would have went to Home Depot, which I don't always consider affordable, the half pint would have been eight or nine dollars, so this is 100% plus markup. It may be worth it for convenience though. Oh and on drawing time, it takes hours upon hours. Easily four to six. And naturally there is a pretty strong smell for days.

It takes time to match the old wood with the new. After a few attempts with stain, I lightly sanded and began putting on a coat of this polyurethane/satin combination. After the second coat the finish color really came together and looked so good that I could not resist on final light coat to protect. It looks great! This color worked to match old interior golden oak that had darkened with time. My only negative comment has nothing to do with the product, but the can that I received was completely rusted on the outside and bottom of the can....I will pour it into a clean empty to preserve. This reflects did not affect the product, which worked beautifully with a little patience.

Goes on easily and flows smoothly as it dries.

Pros: Easy one step application. Keeps and stores well before use. Looks okay.Cons: Single step mix makes deep staining difficult and poor color control. Increased difficulty making even appearance. Super high VOC output for a long time. Can be pretty messy.Overall, I’d be happy with results for a simple outdoor project where I was not too picky about final appearance (Like barn wood or a rustic bench). For fine work where color is important or indoor furniture, cabinets, etc, or around pets, children or those bothered by VOC’s, using a stain and separate clear coat or poly will be much more satisfying. I’m glad to have tried this product on a small project where I didn’t ruin any expensive hardwood or pieces with high expectations for final results. Also, I did a lot of advanced prep work because I knew it would be messy.This has its uses: Small projects, Not concerned about odor or VOCs, lots of tolerance to outcome and easily satisfied with general idea of staining in one step.