tips for applying water based polyurethane

last month

I decided to try to refinish a beautiful (but scruffy) maple table. I sanded off the old finish and bare wood looks great. I started with minwax oil modified polyurethane (it is water based) and can not get a coat to look good. If I do thin, I find spots that look uncovered. When I went thicker, I had bubbles. I'm using a good brush. Looking for any advice....

Featured Answer

dan1888

last month

last modified: last month

The product you're using is not used by woodworkers. First step is to remove everything down to bare wood.

He can use the water based version of this product. He prefers the color of the oil based version.It will add a slight yellow cast to maple.

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Comments (8)

AnnKH
last month
I just used General Finishes water-based poly on a piece of furniture I made, and it was a joy to work with.

I totally agree with dan1888 about Minwax.
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dan1888
last month
Here's a method for applying Gerneral Finish High Performance water-based topcoat. The nylon sock over the foam brush may help you.
klem1
last month
There's a sunburst dead center front of container guaranteeing professional results. If you took your problem to Minwax and they recommended asking interweb buds,I'd like to hear it. If you missed that sunburst , you probably also missed instructions on container. Oh well according to in houzz experts all you need to do is chunk the Minwax then buy their preferred product and your troubles are over.
Sigrid
last month
Try more coats thinner. You can also do a natural finish, but you'd have to get rid of the polyurethane first.
dan1888
last month
Your troubles won't be over. They still will be present in the form of the need for careful focus on prep, procedure, timing and temperature. A better-quality product that can be used without spray equipment will get you to the finish you can be satisfied with.

The method in the second video, using a nylon footlet over a foam brush to help smooth out the thickness and lack of flow from water-based poly. Sand the Minwax smooth with 600 grit Try the foam brush/sock trick.
porkchop_z5b_MI
20 days ago
I had trouble with water-based poly. I used General Finishes. I found it hard to work with because it wants to dry so quickly, even when working in small areas I had bubbles. I also didn't like the somewhat milky/blue-ish cast it left on my pieces. More noticeable on my door compared to my window trim, but still -- it doesn't have the richness of an oil-based poly.

Enter the Arm-R-Seal from General Finishes. Someone on the board recommended it. Blows water-based out of the water IMO. Any fool can apply this stuff, it's pretty tough to screw up. Unlike the water-based, which is pretty tough to get as nice of a finish from and is a bear to work with compared to the oil-based, for me anyway. And no it doesn't turn the wood outright yellow or orange -- simply adds a lovely warmth, which is completely missing from the water-based and so, so much better IMO than the blue-ish cast of the water-based.
dan1888
16 days ago
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