Minwax 614850444 PolyShades - Stain & Polyurethane in 1 Step, Quart, Mission Oak, Gloss

After reading the previous reviews about this product, I was hesitant to buy it for my office remodel project. I've used the Minwax Bombay Mahogany ClearShades product for 15 years now with a great level of success. However, I needed to change the finish on some honey oak cabinets and drawers, but didn't want to deal with the contours of the cabinets and drawer faces. A spray-on product would have been ideal... if it worked. I purchased 4 cans of this stuff initially. I figured, if one or two cans (out of the four) didn't spray correctly, I would at least get one or two good cans. All four of my initial cans sprayed and worked perfectly. I shook the cans well before use, I used it outside on a warm sunny day, and I applied thin even coats each time. The spray comes out as a fine mist and applies smoothly, as long as you keep a steady hand movement. I found that a distance of 4 inches from the work surface worked best for me. I would strongly recommend that you keep your sweeping motions in the same direction as the grain, since the overlapping bands of spray can leave "dark and light stripes" on your project. I didn't think about this initially, and then realized after my first cabinet door had dried, that I had conflicting 90-degree lines (the grain versus the spray pattern). Once I corrected this on the other cabinet doors, it looked great. It even helps to enhance the wood grain a little, in my opinion. I will say, however, that this spray on product is no where near as tough as the traditional product. After fully drying, this spray on product will come off with just a firm fingernail scratch - whereas the traditional roll/brush/rub-on product is much tougher when it's fully dried. It's probably stronger if it goes onto unfinished wood, but since I was changing from honey oak to this color, it went over a lightly sanded varnish, and it's not terribly durable. Luckily, these cabinets won't get a lot of wear and tear, so it should be fine for a long time. I would also recommend to anyone considering this product that it's best to keep the work surface as vertical as possible. If the surface is horizontal (like a board laying on a table), the can has a hard time spraying evenly as a result of how spray cans work. If you turn the can too horizontal, it'll sputter and spit and spray unevenly. The other side of this problem is that if you keep your work surface vertical and apply too much spray, it'll end up running down your project and create drips. So - keep your project vertical if possible, and make light/thin coats. One of these cans will spray approximately 5 cabinet doors (18"x24") with one even coat. You should probably use the whole can in one sitting, if possible, they don't seem to "keep" well. If you have to stop and come back later, I would recommend clearing the nozzle by turning the can upside down and spraying for a couple of seconds. Otherwise the nozzle gets clogged and the rest of the can is pretty useless. I have since purchased and used almost 20 cans of this stuff and have been very happy with it.

It is a good cherry/ mahogany color. Thin layers with a good finish. Not to shiny.

Perfect touch up with spray control on my wood stained fence. Applied well and blended good with old faded stain. No issues with spray tip. I used 5 cans and all worked perfect. I touched up over 140ft of two rail fence. If outdoors, spray with light winds.

I had to match something I mad to the color of my TV stand, it was a perfect match! I’m happy!

As always, consistent and reliable.