# Apply Plyurethane to pine door



## smk (Nov 11, 2010)

I bought an interior double 24 inch pine door - rasie 6 panel for interior office.

I want to give it a protectivesemi-gloss finish. I like the original color of clear light pine so i bought the clear coat winmax polyurethane.

I was told to do the following:

1) sand the door with fine sandpaper
2) wash it with mineral spirits
3) apply one coat of polyurethane
4) sand with extra fine 200 sandpaper
5) apply a second coat of ployurethane

The home dept clerk told me to not use a mineral spirits and use pre-stain wood conditioner.

I tried that and I notice it makes the wood grain more visible and give door a yellower look. I am not sure whether to use this or not.

is it good. do i need it .

I aslo applied 2-3 coats of that polyurethane and i dont see that smooth semigloss finish like hadrails.

is winmax bad or am i doing something wrong.

please advise


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## smk (Nov 11, 2010)

*pinr door*

I should have said this is interior home office door raised 6 panel
24 inch double


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

*WELCOME TO THE FORUM*

At this stage of your finish schedule, it's a bit moot to say what you needed or not. I think you meant to say Minwax, not winmax polyurethane. Was it oil base or waterbase? And, was the conditioner for oil base or waterbase?












 









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## smk (Nov 11, 2010)

I bought MINWAX Fast DRying OIL BASED Polyurethane - Superior durability - clear semi gloss? Is this good stuff or not

The conditioner is MINWAX PRE-STAIN wood conditioner. it does not say whwether oil based on water based but it look oil based.
it says it prepares wood for staining and prevents blotchiness.

I am not staining the door. I just want to apply clear polyurethane. Do i need the conditioner or not?
would it change the color?


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

smk said:


> I bought MINWAX Fast DRying OIL BASED Polyurethane - Superior durability - clear semi gloss? Is this good stuff or not


Yes, it's pretty good stuff.



smk said:


> The conditioner is MINWAX PRE-STAIN wood conditioner. it does not say whwether oil based on water based but it look oil based.
> it says it prepares wood for staining and prevents blotchiness.


You can tell from the directions for clean up, whether water or mineral spirits is recommended.



smk said:


> I am not staining the door. I just want to apply clear polyurethane. Do i need the conditioner or not?
> would it change the color?


Like I said earlier, at this point with 2-3 coats of finish on already, it's moot about the conditioner. That is used on bare wood. If you don't like the finish, you would have to chemically strip the door and do some sanding to remove whatever you can of what you put on.












 









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## smk (Nov 11, 2010)

*polyurethane*

I think you misunderstood me

I did not apply any finish to the pine door yet.
I was testing with some small samples. it seems I would need 5 coraintgs for this to get the semigloss smooth finish i was thinking off?

is clear polyuretane considered to be stain that i need wood conditioner before?

the directions say you just apply before staining and allow to penetrate for 5-15 minutes and apply stain after 2 hours. it is this thing

http://www.minwax.com/products/preparation/oil_based_pre_stain_wood_conditioner.html


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

smk said:


> I think you misunderstood me


You said "I aslo applied 2-3 coats of that polyurethane and i dont see that smooth semigloss finish like hadrails." That's what I understood. If you said "On a sample", it would have been more clear.



smk said:


> is clear polyuretane considered to be stain that i need wood conditioner before?


No, stain is a coloring product, clear polyurethane is a topcoat finishing product. That doesn't mean you can't use a conditioner followed by a topcoat. IOW, a conditioner is designed to make stain take more evenly. Using an oil base polyurethane will add an amber effect to the wood (even without using a stain).












 









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## smk (Nov 11, 2010)

*polyurethane*

What do you mean by amber effect?

So would you recommed just sanding/cleaning with mineral spirits and applying polyurethance directly on the new pine wood (without wood conditioner)?

someone was telling me Sickens polyurethane is the best. can this be better than MINWAX stuff.


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## Fishbucket (Aug 18, 2010)

I would use the Waterbase MinWax Semi gloss Clear. It brushes on a milky white, but dries clear... and with a less amber tone then the oilbase. 

Sand to 220 grit, dust off (with air if you can) then tackrag. Apply one light coat of clear. let dry (24 hrs). Sand again with 220, clean/tackrag, apply clear in a nice smooth coat. If you dont like the feel, do it one more time. 

do the dusting off in a diffrent spot then where you clear.


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## smk (Nov 11, 2010)

so you recommend using waterbase instead of oil base. Home Depot is full of oil-base ployurethan. what is the amber look?

someone was telling me for *new* wood you do not need that wood finish especially since iam not staining it too.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

smk said:


> so you recommend using waterbase instead of oil base. Home Depot is full of oil-base ployurethan. what is the amber look?
> 
> someone was telling me for *new* wood you do not need that wood finish especially since iam not staining it too.



Oil base polyurethane will add amber color, very faint, but there. It's a color, like adding a teensy weensy bit of tint to clear. It's hard to explain, kinda like a honey color. Waterbase polyurethane will stay clear, and dries faster, and cleans up with water, and doesn't stink.












 









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## smk (Nov 11, 2010)

*polyuretane*

I was reading this

http://www.familyhandyman.com/DIY-P...-polyurethane-floor-finish/Step-By-Step#step1

and it seems i have to try both to see which one looks better even though articles seem to favor oil based.

http://woodworking.about.com/od/finishing/p/polyurethane.htm


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## jack warner (Oct 15, 2010)

i also favor oil. if your not going to stain a conditioner is not needed. but with that said mineral spirit is better than minwax conditioner.
are you sure there pine and not vg fir. either way a natural ping will age, getting darker (going yellow/amber) any way. the oil will start off a little darker than water, but the water will catch up due to the woods natural aging. are you spraying or brushing? that will make a dif in the sheen. spray will give a nice smooth surface. theres a lot of technique in brushing on finishes, you dont just slap in on. on panel doors that i absolutly cant spray, after brushing in the panels, keeping the flats clean, i use a 4' mohair roller ( usually older one kept in good shape) and roll out each board one at a time then tip it with the brush. ( a good brush spend the money on a purdy, black bristle )

i go the impression you did the finish all realy. if you did then let it cure3-4 days. then take a sanding spounge wrap it with 220 and lightly sand it smooth, apply another coat. note the more coats the darker the finish


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## smk (Nov 11, 2010)

*polyurethane*

no, i did not finish yet. this is also PINE 6 panel raise door.
i think these are usually engineered wood from what i understand.

still testing with samples.

so the mineral spirits is really a conditioner/cleaner?

It took me 3-4 coats on the sample to get the smooth feel and look i want.

I am using a 2 1/2 inch natural brush for oil based paints. is there special techniques i have to follow?


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## jack warner (Oct 15, 2010)

theres alot of technique involved. for me its easyer to show than typ out. do a online search for a video on brushing techniques, im sure there out there. i personaly would spray it, but if i were to brush it i do it in sections. inside panels first. thin i use a 4" mohair roller to apply the flats. one board at a time, then tip it with the brush. i save the older roller sleeves for that, they dont shed as much as new ones. roll a new sleeve over duct tape then wash then use the duct tape again. rolling allows an even application of material, quicker. but that also takes some technique.


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