Minwax® PolyShades® Antique Walnut, Satin, Half Pint

I can't tell  you when I bought my Minwax Polyshade, there's always some left in the can from a previous use, it's the only product I use!  It always goes on smooth and cleans up nicely and the furniture looks beautiful!

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] So, I have been in the wood working hobby for over 20 years, and I am glad I tried this one out. So, most stains are the same at least the process, time cure etc. But, I have found with this brand the coloring is more gradual, so you don't end up with a dark walnut immediately, you can gradually make it darker which is great if you are trying to match colors with other furniture in your house.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Top piece was before. Goes on easy. I used an old rag to rub on. I prefer a rag to paint brush because it is easier to apply. I used two coats in the pictures. The stain brings out the grains in the wood. I like this stain a lot and plan to use it for other projects.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Finally found a great product that makes it easy to refurbish furniture. I liked that it was a one step process. I did a small piece of furniture and applied two coats and I really loved the way it turned out. Having the stain and polyurethane in one step makes projects much easier and I'm ready to get some other things done with different colors!

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Worked well. Looks great. Made cabinet look brand new.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Minwax® PolyShades® I was surprised how well this covered with the first coat. I did apply a second only because I wanted a deeper color and once it dried the sheen is amazing.I am hoping they will come out with addition colors as I have a few other projects that I would consider using this.

Review Polyshade After using PolyShades all in one my choice is to strip the oak table and chairs again or trash them PolyShades was blotchy and uneven. Unfortunately, this all-in-one polyurethane stain cannot be adjusted the way regular stain can be. This stuff is impossible to apply without the finish looking as though a 5-year-old did it. It's globby, uneven and just plain awful to use. It's almost as though it clots. I've refinished many pieces over the years but nothing has failed like this project has. I spent well over 20 hours stripping and sanding (3 steps to 240). I used Minwax prep, and several good brushes for the poly before I switched to a cotton cloth application. I applied three light coats. Then four...sanding lightly between each with a 240-grit sandpaper and then tacking for dust. My hope was that this would even out with more applications. It didn't. Too bad because it was a beautiful piece. Now I wonder if it is even salvageable. Very disappointed in the product and would rate it less than one star if I could.

I found this produce very hard to work with, perhaps because of the combination of stain and poly -- streaky colors and gummy application. Using steel wool between coats, (as directed) is a mistake, even after 7 hours of drying time as it sticks to some parts of the finish that were apparently not fully cured. I wish I'd stayed with the traditional two step strain and finish process.

I do not enjoy painting and staining in general, but also am very particular about the quality of the finish, so I sometimes do projects myself to ensure quality outcomes. I chose this product because I found that the new sliding doors I thought only needed varnish to match the room actually required stain. Since I now had a coat of Minwax polyurethane one the wood, I searched for a stain that I could apply over the existing varnish. Enter PolyShades. I wish I had read the reviews first. This product is HORRIBLE to apply, especially on vertical surfaces like a door. It starts out very watery, which runs badly, and then it quickly turns gummy as you try to fix runs, leaving splotchy areas that are darker - once this process starts, you can't recover. Critical mistake on my part was to go back to an area and try to even out the color. I will now have to sand the wood back down, and start over. I want to cut my loses and switch to a regular stain, but now have to worry about color matching the trim that I have to redo with the door frame that actually turned out ok.

Difficult to work with. It's impossible to get a nice uniform finish.. Dries too fast if you try put on thin coats