A Polyshades Picture Frame

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Every father loves a phone call from his son, but last week’s call from Eric out in Salt Lake City made me feel especially proud. Seems he is going to a friend’s wedding next month, but rather than pick something from the bridal registry, he bought them an original print — and asked me if I would make them a handcrafted frame. Suddenly nothing else seemed so important. I quickly cut, glued, and sanded the frame, then followed his request for a black stain and finish ….

Within a few minutes my can of Minwax® PolyShades® had given me both the black stain and a durable polyurethane finish, letting just enough of the natural grain of the wood show. The key to PolyShades®: a high quality, natural bristle brush, light strokes, and thin coats.

For more information on PolyShades® and a demonstration, watch the latest ‘Just Ask Bruce‘ videohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAzKL5kVlGY

Thanks for stopping by!
Bruce

2 comments on “A Polyshades Picture Frame

  1. Don

    This is off-topic; I found the color I need in polyshade, but it doesn’t seem to be available in regular stain. (I would rather use separate stain and polyurathane steps if possible). Is there a way to find the same color in regular wood finish stain? Thanks for the help,

    PS – the color is Mission Oak

    1. Bruce Johnson Post author

      Good questions, Don. I agree with your approach, as doing your staining and finishing as two separate steps gives you more control over the final color. That being said, when you use one of the Wood Finish stains the color of the wood will also be a factor in the final color after staining. Some experimenting will probably be necessary. So, I would suggest starting with a small can of Red Mahogany and see how that looks on a test spot that no one will see on your project. Keep in mind you can add other Minwax stains to your Red Mahogany to darken or lighten it as needed. Hope this helps. Good luck! -Bruce

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