# Need help with polyurethane finish issues



## tomjboyle (Feb 12, 2009)

I just spent several months building this rocking horse for my daughter which turned out great. I stained it and then hastily finished it with polyurethane. It now has a finish with the white blotches on it. Any idea how it happened? Best way to repair it? Thanks for your help. New to woodworking and didn't pay much attention to the finish aspect. The wood is walnut.

Thanks


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## Julian the woodnut (Nov 5, 2008)

It looks like you used oil based stain, and water based poly to me. Thats a no no if you don't let the stain cure for at least 24-48 hours in warm weather.


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## mikeswoods (May 18, 2009)

*never seen that before-----------------*

By the way great design,nice work too. Was that oil based poly? I've seen milky splotches with water based. Let me know.I've made a lot of mistakes an know a few fixes.


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## Jim Tank (Apr 28, 2009)

In some case rubbing alcohol will assist top coats passing moisture or evaporators thru a topcoat. If your topcoat is an oil based finish, then just let it cure completely and then recoat. It will breakdown the upper molecules of the bottom coat and fuse with them repairing the "torn pores" of a plastic coating to form a clear coating. Just like putting lotion on rough skin. Wadda ya think George??


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## Dave (PacNW) (Apr 19, 2009)

It appears to me that your wood was not completely dry. Did you use Borg wood? (fir or pine) if so what you are seeing is the trapped moisture migrating up to the bottom of the finish


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## Julian the woodnut (Nov 5, 2008)

Dave, I don't think that wood moisture was the problem. I have applied poly over construction lumber plenty of times before without it doing that. I have put polycrylic over oil stain and had that happen though.


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## tomjboyle (Feb 12, 2009)

*What I used*

Ok, back in town. I used MinWax Oil based stain with MinWax Clear Semi-Gloss Polyeurathane. The wood is walnut. I stained one weekend and coated the next.

Thanks guys.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

tomjboyle said:


> Ok, back in town. I used MinWax Oil based stain with MinWax Clear Semi-Gloss Polyeurathane. The wood is walnut. I stained one weekend and coated the next.
> 
> Thanks guys.



You never stated *which* polyurethane you used...oil base or water based. In order to come up with a reason for it happening, and a solution to the problem, it helps to be specific.


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## tomjboyle (Feb 12, 2009)

*Poly*

It was an oil based polyurethane as well.

Thanks


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