Min-Wax Water Based Polyurethane

[Dewey H Lee]

It was post 210 on goodbye old iron Ass.

[wpmay]

Not to muddy the waters but..........

Although I have never used it, my local Lowe's carries a Minwax Pro Series Spar Urethane that is water based and is advertised as non-yellowing with added UV stabilizers for outdoor applications. Here's a direct link to Minwax's website:

https://www.minwax.com/wood-products...-spar-urethane

Bill

[Nick1956]

Thanks Prowler......

[Grossman56]

Thanks Dewey, I posted the link again up above. They guys are right, Minwax is a good product and I didn't throw away my can. You can get the same results wit it if you apply more coats. The planes that had Minwax on them already, still have Minwax, but I have the Varathane product on my new Freewing P51 as well as the wings on Old Crow because I changed them out during the winter.
Here's My Little Gal with two coats of Varathane and Big Beautiful Doll with about 6 coats of Minwax. Pretty close to the same sheen.

Grossman56

[Nick1956]

Wow Grossman, those are beautiful !!!!!! You are right, I have four coats on mine now and the extra two really made a difference. I have been in this hobby for four years now and I know there are a lot of people who have been in it longer, but I have learned so much about the other parts of this hobby like Lipo battery safety, setting up the motor/esc/prop combinations, being able to fix broken and worn out parts of the plane, and how to build confidence in new pilots so they don't have to have such a big learning curve to be able to fly and have some fun. Why do some of the people always have negative things to say? I read it all the time in flight reviews and in these forums. I mean we get to fly airplanes!!!! and working on them for me is at least as much fun as flying them. And I would rather see a better pilot than I am fly my planes because it lets me see how much better a builder I have become.

So when people criticize someone on weather a Warbird shouldn't be a certain color or sheen isn't it that persons choice? Look at your two planes, they have a sheen and look absolutely fantastic. I always look for someone to teach me something I just wish some people would stop defining themselves as an RC pilot and Master Builder and just have some fun and help the new guys and even the old ones too. We all have our strengths in this hobby but the most important one should be the ability to just realize how cool it is that we have our planes and friends to share how much fun it is.

I would love to see more of your planes so keep posting them.....

Nick

[Grossman56]

I couldn't agree with you more Nick! When we start out in this hobby, repair work is a necessity! By trial and error and a lot of good advice from the people on this forum, I've figured out a few things, but I'm still wide open to learning!
Recently, I made rivets on 'My Little Gal', which was something new and really worked out well. I'd never Airbrushed on my life until I did Shangrila, then got creative with Pandora One and Pandora Two. After that, my first Iron Ass P51 became Old Crow and now the P40 looks like she's been through a war. My Pitts is a tribute to my friend Dave Scott. This hobby is just a great way for me to finally have the airplanes I built as model kits when I was young and have the thrill of seeing them fly!
And, you're right, it is a personal choice and that's what makes it fun. "My Little Gal ' is a tribute to my wife and not a historically accurate bird. Old Crow has invasion stripes, Bud Anderson flew his P51B on D day. So, why the heck not!?
Keep having the time of your life my friend, life is waaaay to short to worry about what someone else thinks. Take it from someone at 62 years of age. I never cared what anyone thinks. I've been a long haired rocker and a cowboy, and a lot of things in between, know what?? I had/having the time of my life (still am), so should you!

Grossman56

[Nick1956]

Thanks Grossman, I am the same way. I'm 60 and I have a blast everyday I wake up. Your planes all look killer. I have 10+ planes and they are all in perfect flying condition and though I would love to have 50 more I love what I have. They are all still around because I take care of them, you know checking the condition of surface controls, changing out servos after 200 flights, things like that. And reprinting them makes it a new plane all over again.

It was nice to run into a normal person like you, have a great weekend

[Grossman56]

Thanks Nick, just waiting for the wind to die down out here. A perfect 70 degrees right now, but too much wind!!
What neck of the woods are you in?

Grossman56

[Nick1956]

I live in Newport Beach CA, it raining on and off today but I got in 6 flights this morning with my F-18. It gave me a chance to sit at home and work on a couple of planes with the ballgame on and my rescue dog Molly hanging with me. It's so cool to have a dog again .... How about you?

[Nick1956]

Some of mine

[Grossman56]

Windy Wyoming! Cody to be exact!
We were up in the 70s yesterday, socked in this morning, not fog but overcast. That could change though, our weather is wild like everything else out here. The only city I know where the deer wander the streets.
I'm still waiting for the wind to let up to get my P40B and the latest P51D in the air.

Grossman56

[Nick1956]

It must be great out there, wide open and Cowboy county. Do you ride rodeo? Any horses?

I'm by the beach so it's always a little windy but that's fun too.

[Prowler901]

Funny thing... I went to my local Home Depot yesterday, and they don't carry the Verathane. All they have is the Minwax products. I'll have to check the local True Value store to see if they carry it.

[Nick1956]

Yeah me too... The Minwax gloss looks even better than the semi gloss.... At least I think so.

[Grossman56]

I never rode rodeo, but I've owned a horse or two in my time. Gave it up and got married for the first time, should have kept the horse, more loyal!
We live in a little subdivision on the east side of town. I'm the old guys with all the planes!
Minwax is a good product, don't get all of us wrong, Varathane is a better product because of the UV protectant and the fact that you don't have to use as many coats to get a glossy finish. If you find it beading up on the first application (either product) take a rag and wipe it off, it will leave a small amount on, but what your actually doing by having it bead up, is gathering the oil off the plane, by wiping it up, you remove the mold release 'oil,' let it dry and apply a second coat, it works, I do it all the time.

Grossman56

[Nick1956]

Thanks for the tip, your planes look great!!

[Nick1956]

Thanks for the tip, your planes look great!!