Minwax Polycrylic?

[David Baker]

Have any of you out there ever tried Minwax Polycrylic as a finish on the lathe for bowls. I understand it to be clear and water based. I'm in a small town and would like to find a product locally for my bowls that is clear. I would like to apply it on the lathe as oppossed to spraying.

[Matthew Clarke]

Hi David,
I tried the Minwax Polycrylic as a finish- once. Two problems I noted: (1) Although it is clear, it has no warmth. That's a matter of personal taste and it may not be a worry for you at all; (2) It is a very hard and brittle finish (it's an acrylic). So, if the bowl ever need touch up (and which ones don't) you will have a LOT of sanding to do. Then you will have to refinish the bowl.

You might want to try using two coats of a 1 lb cut of blonde shellac as a sanding sealer. It has to be blonde and dewaxed. That finish can go under anything. Then topcoat it with Minwax Antique Oil. The Antique Oil is like a tung oil finish. If you apply it directly to the wood, it really deepens the color. However, if you put one or two coats of blonde shellac on first, you should see a lot less of the orange cast. In any case, good luck with whatever you chose to do.

Matt Clarke

[Chris Padilla]

I have a quart of this at home right now, David, that I'm going to apply to a large platform I made for the washer/dryer/water softener. It is nothing but 2x4s and a 3/4" piece of ply tossed on top. I painted the whole thing with several coats of white primer and now I want to protect it one step further by slopping on some poly.

What my wife and I have used this for in the past was to get crisp lines when taping of section off walls for differnet colors or whatever.

Put your tape up and then paint this Polycrylic on the wall and tape...let it dry (dries quickly) and then paint your second color. The tape will peel away leaving a nice crisp line.

Anyway, doesn't help much for your question, does it? :( Sorry, that is the extent of my experience with this product.