Oil based poly?

[Frederick Skelly]

Hello guys.
Is oil based poly truly clear (like the water based is) or does it have an amber tint to it? I want to keep the maple its natural color and dont want any tint.

Can I put the oil based poly on top of several coats of water based poly, or do I need to strip the water based first?

Thanks.
Fred

[Mark Kornell]

Oil-base poly does have an amber tint.

[Scott Holmes]

And it will yellow more with time. Why do you need toput an oil-based poly over a water-borne finish? What are you expecting to gain?

[Frederick Skelly]

Well Scott, I screwed up. I had this table top done and the finish had an interaction with the rubber mat I had it sitting on. Ive sanded most of that out and put on another coat of water based poly. Afterward I realized I didnt get all of the flaw out, so I have to repeat the sand and coat process. (Theres a long saga on what a pain this piece has been.) But I really hate brushing this water based stuff. I just cant use it well enough. The only reason I used it to start with was because its clear. If I could switch to a clear, oil based product even now, I would. But Im guessing I cant and probably just have to tough it out.

Thanks for trying to help guys!
Fred

[Rich Engelhardt]

You may or may not gain much in the way of protection from a reaction going from water to oil based poly.
Poly resin is poly resin, pretty much - regardless of what the carrier is.

That's also a broad sweeping statement - akin to saying water is water, whether it's fresh water or sea water.
If you wanted to make mud pies, you could make mud pies out of some mud and a bucket of water from Lake Erie or water from the Atlantic...

If you want to make a switch to something clear & add some extra protection - you can sand down the water poly, apply a barrier coat of Zinsser Seal Coat (dewaxed shellac), then apply a non-poly varnish, such as P&L #38.

P&L #38, unlike water born clears. will brush out and level very well. It's also a very, very, very light colored material.

[Howard Acheson]

Fred, you will have to use a chemical stripper and remove all the prior finish. Attempting to sand it out is almost always unsuccessful.

To answer your question, oil based clear finishes all will dry with some amount of amber color. The resin and the linseed oil used in manufacture causes the amber tint. As Scott says, it will become more amber as time goes on. If you want a waterclear finish, use a waterborne acrylic finish.