# Minwax Wood Hardener with Polyurethane?



## Lmhall (Apr 3, 2014)

I'm building a barn wood table (may have seen previous posts)... I want to keep the natural patina and paint, so I first tried a few test pieces and here is what I found:
*1-* 3 coats of polyurethane: The wood was soft and the paint scraped off with nail...
*2- * 2 coats of wood hardener: Darkened the wood significantly, but the wood was stiff and paint was somewhat more stable
*3-* 2 coats of wood hardener, followed by 2 coats of polyurethane: The wood is now extremely dark, however the finish is starting to seal and the paint and rigidity of the wood is the best of the three. 

I will probably have to do a few more coats of the poly to really get the sealed finish I am looking for. The wood is 120 years old, and tends to "drink" up whatever I put on. 

If anyone out there has advice, or suggestions in regards to what I'm doing, I'd love to get some insight. I can't find any info, or posts that have used Minwax Wood Hardener on older wood in this application. I am not repairing rot, I simply want to "harden" the surface of the wood panels so I can finish them without losing the frayed wood texture and patina.


Thanks for the help guys!


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