PolyShades Wood Stain + Polyurethane Finish – Quart, Bombay Mahogany, Satin

The Minwax PolyShades Wood Stain + Polyurethane Finish in Bombay Mahogany is absolutely outstanding and delivered beautiful results on my woodworking project. The color is rich, deep, and elegant with a warm mahogany tone that instantly gave the wood a professional, high-end appearance. One of the best things about this product is the convenience of having both stain and polyurethane protection combined into one application. It saved a tremendous amount of time while still producing a smooth, durable, and attractive finish. The satin sheen looks perfect — not overly glossy, but still polished and refined. Application was very straightforward, and the finish went on evenly with excellent coverage. The product leveled nicely and brought out the natural grain and character of the wood beautifully. Once dry, the surface felt smooth, durable, and well protected. I used it on furniture and trim work, and the finished result looked fantastic. The Bombay Mahogany color added depth and richness that completely transformed the project and made it look professionally finished. For DIY projects, furniture restoration, cabinetry, or woodworking, this product is an excellent choice. Beautiful color, durable protection, and a huge time-saver all in one can. Highly recommend the Minwax PolyShades line for anyone wanting a professional-quality wood finish with outstanding results!

My home was built in the 70s and has that awful walnut-stained pine trim that apparently was so popular back then but just tends to look dirty and unfinished. I priced replacing all the trim in the house (eek) and instead decided to simply paint it. Someone suggested PolyShades instead, I tried it, and was sold. Pros: It's easy to apply: You dust off the wood (or clean it if necessary and let it dry), scuff it lightly with some sandpaper, then apply the stain with a rag or brush. I let it set for a second, then (lightly) smooth off the excess. That's about it. It's beautiful when finished: I chose Bombay Mahogany, which is a very dark brown with purple highlights, so not a lot of the wood grain shows through. It's a really rich, beautiful color that goes well with the "oiled bronze" finishes that have been popular lately. Nice finish: The surface has a satin finish that's very nice and needs no further treatment. Cons (more like "just be awares") Don't stop at one coat. I don't know about the other colors in the PolyShades palette, but this color definitely needs TWO applications. With just one, the finish is very splotchy when it dries. I've tried applying it on bare wood, and bare wood with sanding sealer, and bare wood with a layer of varnish underneath. The coated wood SHOULD have smoothed out any uneven absorption of stain, making the coloring more even, but it didn't. So just be prepared to purchase enough for at least two coats on whatever you're doing. Fumes. It has a definite odor and can make you dizzy if you apply it in a small, enclosed space, so make sure you follow the safety directions and have lots of good ventilation. Not as durable as old-fashioned stain+varnish: This IS a surface treatment, i.e., when you apply it on a previously varnished surface, it doesn't soak in. It will NOT last as long as if you'd removed the previous coatings down to bare wood and then applied it. Several years after application, it's worn away on the tops of our stair rails, and chipped off where the vacuum cleaner rubs against it. We just clean those areas and reapply, so it's good to keep a small can around. I think some of the reviewers who gave Polyshades a low rating were expecting the same level of soak-in/adhere/durability as you'd get doing this with standard Minwax stains, and it's just not going to happen--not the same product at all. Availability. I used to get this at Home Depot, but they've dropped this line. After calling around, Amazon was the only place I could find that actually had it in stock. I took the precaution of buying extra just in case because you WILL be touching it up over the years.

This is an excellent product for non-heavy use surfaces. I use it exclusively for wood handrails when the customer wants a dark, non-painted look (Espresso is a beautiful, deep, rich color). It usually requires three coats, carefully applied with a quality Wooster brush.

This is hard to get even stain and some areas took days to dry. It does work great for me for touch up areas of wood around my windows. Use good ventilation because its strong smell.

THE APPLICATION WAS SO EASY. I DID A BENCH THAT WAS NEVER STAINED AND IT TURNED OUT BEAUTIFULLY, IF YOU HAD AN ISSUE THEN MAYBE YOU GOT A BAD BATCH OR DIDN'T READ THE INSTRUCTIONS. IT IS SUPER THIN BUT EASY TO SPREAD AND THE RESULTS ARE BEAUTIFUL!!

Good rich color Easy to apply Quick to dry

Did not work on my 70's era wood cabinets. I wanted to preserve the wood grain instead of just painting over it and should have painted. Cleaned with mineral spirits and TSP, sanded with 220 and applied the coating. Some areas looked good but other blotchy where the stain wouldn't absorb and clump up for lack of better terms. Did 2 to 3 coats and turned it dark but with streaks. Tried a mini roller and somewhat better to apply the stain. Leave this product to the pros and don't take a chance on something like kitchen cabinets.

Easy to use, covers nicely and finishes the wood beautifully, ** seems like an obvious warning but … USE IN WELL VENTILATED AREA or at least wear a mask and leave the area after applying.

Loved the color after 3 coats. Its not as dark as it is display on the can.

Excellent

Rubbish bubbled all over complete waste of money