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Minwax fast dry Polyurethane


jseverin

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  • 3 weeks later...

Not on a neck end, but how 'bout a whole body...?

Minwax poly update...

Tests with Minwax Fast-drying Polyurethane and water-based Polycrylic (both Clear Gloss, spray cans from Home Depot), on maple blocks sanded down to 600, 2 coats Minwax sand & sealer, sanded to 600, 3 coats white acrylic primer (Rustoleum 'Painters Touch'), 4 coats yellow acrylic (Rustoleum 'Americas Finest').

Fast-dry Polyurethane: 8 coats, 15 minutes between coats

Polycrylic: 10 coats, 5 minutes between coats

Results: Way too thick, after 3 weeks finish is still gummy. Compared to the raw yellow, the Fast-Dry PolyU has slight ambering; the water-based Polycrylic is slightly milky, producing almost a faded yellow.

Based on this, I went straight to my S body (prepped as above, but sand & sealer sanded down to 1000) and shot 2 coats of the Fast-Dry Polyurethane, with 20 minutes between coats. First coat was thinner than the second. After 11 days the finish was nice and hard, slight orange peel. Sanded with 1000 & 1500 (no rings!), 3M Perfect It II (3X), then finally Meguiars Swirl Remover 9.0 (3X). It looks great! At least as good as the finish on my (black) MIM Strat, and about half as thick.

And cheap! The all-Home-Depot/Pep Boys finish! This is not as good as Ty at Roxy will do, but not bad on a shoestring.

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derek, I would bet that one coat from your roller would be thicker than my 2 coats of spray (depending on how thick the roller nap is). I sprayed it on thick enough that I got one run on the side, but it was pretty minor.

I would spray one side (lying flat), wait 10-12 minutes, flip and spray the other side, wait 10-12 minutes, then repeat. The sides were mostly overspray from the front and back applications. The thing I like best about the whole recipe was how little work I had to do to get a good gloss.

My impression is that the time between poly coats allowed the coats to melt into each other, without flowing out too much. If you use a roller, one coat is probably all you need, but you may end up working harder to sand it flat and buff out.

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I had always heard that the Minwax Polyurethane took too long to cure and wasn't as durable as it could be.. I've always wonder about people using that product.. I started to buy some the other day just to try it out.. but from what others had said.. I stayed away.. So, are you saying the Minwax Polyurethane is good enough for guitar finishing.. or are you just experimenting.. lol

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I'm experimenting with it as well. I can't believe that we're all doing this at the same time. :D

Since I don't have a spray gun, I used an old rag to rub the finish on. I waited about 5 to 10 minutes before rubbing on more. Even after only about 2 to 3 coats, the finish on my veneer top is lush.

Surprisingly, the clear finish also looked better on just the raw wood. It didn't look as good on a stained sample. Still trying to figure that one out.

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first thing i sand the guitar to 100 grit for sanding sealer, i did 4 coats (1-2hours between coats as the directions said) and i let the bodies sit around for a month and harden, i just finished sanding them down to 120 and i'm going to put another 4 or so coats then sand to 320, then the poly acrylic, then 400, poly 600, poly, 800, 1000, 1200, 1500, buff.

i wanted to start out with a really rough grit so the sealer has lots to grab on to since this is a transparent only finish. And i think it's about 4 coats = 1 spray coat, it goes on really thin, so i'm thinking maybe 5 minutes inbetween coats from now on, cause the first side is usualy dry to the touch by the time i'm done the second side.

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Keep in mind...the recipe I described above (Minwax Fast-Drying Polyurethane, clear gloss) does NOT involve shooting it from an air gun, it is straight from the stock aerosol spray can (I ain't got no air gun...). So it comes out thin, but I apply several passes (5-6) per coat with the body lying horizontal (so it won't run). It definitely looks "wet" when I put it on, not misted. I put down 2 coats of this, about 1/2 a can total. This HAS to be thinner than any single coat of wipe-on from any roller.

I sanded and buffed after 11 days (as above). After 2 weeks total the finish is pretty hard, but I can still leave a small dent with my fingernail. I'm hoping it will harden a bit more, but if not, I guess it will relic quicker (unintentionally....).

My total finish is significantly thinner than derek's, which I think may be why it has dried quicker.

The clear coat buffed out looks comparable to my Fender MIM Strat, only a few light finish scratches in the reflected light. This is my first refin, so perhaps my eye could use some training, but it looks good to me.

The total refin, in materials, cost me maybe 30 bucks. I figured, at that price, I'll give it a shot!

This thing will ultimately be a 12-string Strat...should be done in a few days.

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