# Lack of Control



## Manitario

Personally, I try to avoid woodworking with "Satan", lol. I know what you mean about the Polyshades though, I used it once, and never again.


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## KMTSilvitech

Thanks for the info, good review.


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## Howie

No more polyshades for me either. Was not impressed with it. I do like their other products.


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## Zanetracecabinets

I sure am glad to know that it's not just me that doesn't care for the combination finish. Its sounds like a great idea and it's cheaper than buying one quart of stain and one quart of poly. But, if doesn't turn out the way you want it then wants the point. Cheers


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## KenFitz

Agreed. While it seems easier at first, the polyshades are very difficult to control the color even on the wood that they show samples of. If you have stored it for any amount of time over a month, you might as well toss it unless you don't care what the finished product looks like. I have used Minwax over the years and really like some of their products. Polyshades is just not one of them.


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## Everett1

I have only made one project with stain, Minwax red oak. I have vowed to never use stain again, I figure if I want a certain color, i'll get the material of that color


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## Sawkerf

I've used Polyshades on 3-4 projects and am less than thrilled with it. I typically use foam brushes and find it difficult to get an even color. I plan to try spraying it on some scrap to see if that works better.


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## Bertha

Polyshades is the devil. The only project it even came close to not ruining was an old bedframe with an almost ebonized finish. I used a dark walnut or something similar to just brighten it up a bit. I stay away from that stuff like the plague. 1 star or less.


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## MakerofSawdust

Hey guys - it should be no surprise that it was hard to get an even color. It's in the name. We thought the 'poly' in polyshades was referring to polyurethane. I think in was reallyreferring to poly -meaning multiple. You get multiple shades. I am also in the group of "looked promising, tried once, never again."


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## Mosquito

Hmm… Interesting reading here.

I used polyshades only once myself as well. I wouldn't say I'd "never" use it again, but I will admit that my initial thought was "that doesn't look like something I'd like to use" and that it's true, I didn't really like using it. I was happy with the results though, and have no complaints there.

I used the Black polyshades on a set of 3 little knick knack shelves for my girlfriend. She wanted them to be black to match the [cheap] book case and tv stand she got at [box store]. I still wanted it to show some of the grain patterns (red oak) so I used Polyshades black gloss instead of painting them. It worked fine with 3 coats, but still not something I would do to an otherwise good piece of wood…


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## PRGDesigns

One and done, kinda like Duke and Mizzou…....


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## Zanetracecabinets

I'm glad that everyone enjoyed the review; I was scared at first to give a marginal review. I feel much better about it now that I get everyone's feedback. 
I would however really like to hear back from Sawkerf after you attempt to spray it on even though I don't think he will get better results. I say that because I know pigments in oil are only suspended not dissolved unlike the pigments added to water based stain that dissolve and thus get deeper into the wood when they are applied. That's why when I applied the polyshades the color pigments were dragged across the surface giving an uneven color. Spraying may resolve the uneven color. 
Thanks again everyone, it civil conversations like this one that makes LJs a really great community to belong too. I have quiet other communities because of the immature attacks on people that post comments and butt kissing that goes on in them but you don't find that here. My hat is off to the folks who run LJs and my fellow members. Cheers


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## Dusty56

I would have stopped after the first swipe of the brush on a TEST piece before going forward on an entire project. I tried the polyshades once and returned the can after making a test piece. Never again!!
What made you decide to put even more Poly (plastic) on it afterwards ? 
Your project picture looks like you spent a lot of time getting all of the details right , but the cheap plastic look doesn't go with your craftsmanship : ) 
It's kind of sad to know that there is QSWO under that : ( 
JMHO : )
Rated 4 stars ????


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## D1st

It would be nice to get some advice from a minwax rep on this forum. Maybe We are just using it wrong. Im like you though. Done.


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## dhazelton

Hmm, the comment that follows yours seems to negate what you had just finished saying you appreciated about this site. I think it's unfair to deride someone for applying a finish that didn't work out as hoped. It's hard to judge the actual piece by a photograph taken in a garage. In the scheme of things it just seems small.

Back to the piece - usually buffing with steel wool and waxing gives a nice low luster to a piece. Maybe you just need to pick up some extremely fine sandpaper (wet/dry), or courser steel wool before using the four 0 stuff. Take that acrylic look down a bit farther.

Staining is an art form, especially with soft woods. I wonder how a pre stain treatment meant to limit blotchiness would react with that Polyshades. But in my mind a colorant suspended in a clear acrylic vehicle could never really absorb into the wood. And each subsequent layer would just compound the situation. If it was a tinted shellac that might work, as the applied shellac softens the layer underneath.


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