Minwax!!!


trz

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Is minwax inferior to GF products?

Is Minwax a hobbieist product while GF is for the "pros"?

Why is it that Minwax is sold in every store under the sun but you have to order GF online unless you have a Rocklers or WC store near by?

What exactly is it that makes GF better than Minwax?

Not dising either one, just curious what makes one better than the other, and why the "pros" don't seem to use the Minwax products much.

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Chemistry has made huge advancements in finishes but at a cost. Minwax is a trusted name that sat on grandad's shelf. It is predictable and trustworthy. For personalities that prefer the old standby and only change at need, Minwax will continue to be sold.

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I like the minwax tungoil finish better than any other I have used especially to polish on the lathe, I also like their water base clears, their oil based not so much. If I want or need a high build or a gloss finish I will go with an automotive grade catalyized urathane, the right one can be ready to sand and buff in minutes, not days.

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I've always had good luck with MinWax. For small projects the wipe-on works pretty well. Now they have spray on in rattle cans. The nozzles are really nice and lay down a smooth finish. After hearing all the hoopla about Arm R Seal on here I broke down and ordered a quart. Will give it a try on my next project.

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I quit using Minwax stains years ago. ML Campbell's WoodSong II stains behave better and since they are owned by the same conglomerate I can get the same stock colors. Plus my finish supplier does custom color matching mixed stains for me. It ain't cheap but they are faster and more accurate than I ever was.

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All these finishes are mysterious proprietary secrets so there's really no way of judging the products on anything besides results.  I used to use Minwax all the time when I was just starting out and thought Home Depot was where woodworkers shopped.  I had mixed results with their products but in all fairness I had no idea what I was doing so most likely anything that went wrong was more my fault than theirs.

 

The Minwax product I've used most is their wipe-on poly.  I used it extensively and I was generally pleased with the results.  But I have to oppose Pug and say that ARS is a far superior finish.  I can't say why for sure...but everything that's important to me - color, clarity, feel, ease of application - ARS wins.  I also think ARS starts building a film a bit faster and "seems" a bit more durable.  But again, since the formulas are locked in a vault, we may be talking apples to oranges and making unfair comparisons.

 

I continue to use Minwax products on certain shop projects and various other things...but for my top-end work, I'm a General Finishes fan.  I kind of see Minwax and GF the same way I see Dewalt and Festool...they'll both get the job done, but one is clearly better than the other.

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In all surrnursss tho, Minwax has become the weekend warrior handyman DIY brand. You won't see a professional bring it onto a job site. When we did floors, we used Bona products. The painters that we dealt with were using Old Masters, another good line. Bringing Minwax to the job has become like walking onto the job site of a million dollar home with a ryobi saw. Ya just made yaself look like a damn fool. 

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If your talking big job site, the contractors don't have a lot of say, first it has to be on the spec sheet, then it has to be submitted and approved, since a lot of the more expensive brands have reps that will do that for you, guess who shows up on the job, yep the brand with the best representation, not necessarily the best product, not that I am saying minimax is the best...

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In all surrnursss tho, Minwax has become the weekend warrior handyman DIY brand. You won't see a professional bring it onto a job site. When we did floors, we used Bona products. The painters that we dealt with were using Old Masters, another good line. Bringing Minwax to the job has become like walking onto the job site of a million dollar home with a ryobi saw. Ya just made yaself look like a damn fool.

Exactly, and I just wonder Why! Is it really an inferior product compared to the rest?
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It's the same as it always has been ,not nessearily inferior just other brands have improved. It really depends on your skill and working conditions plus what you intend to topcoat with.

Too many people try to get a really dark stain with Minwax. Instructions say apply, let it soak in then wipe back. If you apply it too thick or use multiple coats it coats the wood and your finish only sticks to the stain, which will eventually cause the finish to peel off.

If I need a really dark stain I use Dye for the first coat then stain over that and wipe back, let it dry then topcoat.

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  • 2 weeks later...

If we're not just talking stain, I prefer the Minwax Polyacrylic waterbourne finish to GF products - but only if it's brushed on...and only over paint. Seems to be more user friendly in my experience.

That stuff would never go through my sprayer though.

Look at Watco products...they're awesome for their purpose, big box ready...and heck, it's a Rustoleum brand.

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I find minwax poly and polycrylic easy to use and they compare well to GF products.  There might be some marginal differences and GF might be a little better, but at the end of the day they go on similarly.  I typically use Arm R Seal because I am a snob, but really minwax wipe-on, or minwax diluted with mineral spirts, is pretty close.  

 

But, as a cruel trick to DIYers, who stain everything, I think minwax stains suck.     By comparison, General Finishes stains are so much easier to use.   The colors are deaper, more consistent, on go on easier.   I don't know if GF uses better pigments, a higher concentration of pigments, or a better combination of pigments and dyes.   Old Masters stains are quite good and, around here at least, are stocked at most Ben Moore paint stores.  

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You can read all day long who is better or who is worse, cheaper....you get the story right!  :) You don't know till you try. Rejection requires knowledge. Until you try different finishes, you will never know. 

 

So my suggestion is to sample some finishes and stains. Yeah......its gonna cost you a few bucks, but so does dating the babes, until you find the right one. B)

 

-Ace-

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In all surrnursss tho, Minwax has become the weekend warrior handyman DIY brand. You won't see a professional bring it onto a job site. When we did floors, we used Bona products. The painters that we dealt with were using Old Masters, another good line. Bringing Minwax to the job has become like walking onto the job site of a million dollar home with a ryobi saw. Ya just made yaself look like a damn fool. 

 

Most of the flooring guys around here use Bona or Loba finishes and Duraseal stains.  Duraseal is made by.... Minwax.  

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I use minwax rattle can polyurethane. I've had no problems with it, it buffs out ok, I tried their rattle can lacquer but wasn't real impressed, of course it could have been because it was a little cold to be spraying (mid-50's)

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