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About 5 years ago I finished a walnut grandfather clocjk with minwax wipe on poly. I did not use a stain, just the poly over the walnut. After about 5 years with the sun light coming through my wifes picture window sheers one side of the walnut has bleached out. I will be stripping the effective area this winter and will refinish. Can anyone recommend a good wipe on finsh that will not sun bleach? I was thinking about using the minwax Clear Shield. Can this be cut so I can wipe it on? If so, will it lose its UV protection? I plan on at least 4 coats.
Dave Macklem
Norfolk, Virginia
Dave,
We consulted with the folks at Minwax and below is their response.
Minwax has 3 products with UV absorbers: Minwax® Helmsman® Spar Urethane, Minwax® Water Based Helmsman® Spar Urethane and Minwax® Clear Shield. They will all slow the speed at which the sun bleaches the wood. However, over time, no matter what is applied, bleaching/fading will occur. We recommend regularly reapplying the finish to maintain the UV absorbing properties. "Regularly" varies depending on the level of sun exposure. In his case, we’re thinking every other year. Regarding thinning, we do not recommend thinning any of our products. The oil-based Helmsman® Spar Urethane comes in an aerosol which will put on thinner coats. The Water Based Helmsman® Spar Urethane is a thinner product and he may be able to wipe it on as is. We recommend experimenting on scrap wood if he wants to try it. Also, the Water Based Helmsman® Spar Urethane is non-ambering, so the appearance will be slightly different than he is used to with the Minwax® Wipe-On Poly.
Also, you can restore some of the color by applying a Minwax or similar oil stain. Most oil stains use pigments for color wihch resist fading. However, sunlight is tough on all typical wood finishes. When when possible it's simply best to keep the furniture out of direct sunlight.
Hope this helps.
If you get a chance, post a before and after picture of your clock.