Back to Minwax Wood Finish, Early American, Oil-Based Wood Stain, Gallon

Customer reviews

4.27 out of 5stars
(26 reviews)

Most helpful positive review

5.00 out of 5 stars review
Verified Purchaser
03/07/2021
Good product
Works well, easy to apply and give a good looks to your wood. I did a lot of project with it over the last 5 years.
Jerome

Most helpful negative review

1.00 out of 5 stars review
Verified Purchaser
08/04/2021
Has This Product been Changed?
I have been mixing my own stain color for the last 15 years to match aged knotty pine in my cabin. Three parts natural, one part English chestnut worked beautifully and let the wood grain show through. Now, with the cans marked "semi-transparent, Dries in two hours" it goes on VERY orange and covers the wood grain like paint. Totally ruined a project trying to match the previous mixture. And yes, I set a timer and mixed it with a paint stirrer for ten minutes. I have never wiped it off in the past and wood grain showed perfectly. No idea how I will deal this, may have to switch the entire project to paint.
janmcc
14 reviews
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  • 5.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    10/18/2022
    Natural
    I'm using the natural color base stain and love it. I wanted to keep my patio chairs as natural as possible also letting the grain pop through. I've been using Minwax my whole life you can't get any better.
    TJRCustomDesign
  • 5.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    10/17/2022
    When in doubt, go with Tung Oil
    Every once and a while I find myself trying to apply a stain to a piece while also trying to maintain some semblance of natural color. Minwax has a few offerings I have tried. One is the Natural 209 wood finish; this is an oil stain with a slight red base. No it won't turn the piece red, but it does tip that direction as opposed to yellow. Boiled Linseed Oil is the opposite, providing a natural look with a hint of a yellow base. But when working with Minwax's Tung oil, I have seen the best and most natural results on Maple, Sande, and Birch; both solid wood and plywood applications. If you love the look of your unfinished project, Minwax Tung Oil is the best way to finish without losing the natural charm.
    Jackoftrades
  • 5.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    09/16/2022
    Beautiful Finish!
    We recently refinished this antique dresser. After scraping, stripping, and sanding off about eight layers of paint, we discovered some gorgeous Oak wood grains. We chose to use Minwax Dark Walnut Penetrating Stain as our final refinish produt and we are so glad we did. Easy application and an absolutely beautiful finish! We can't wait to try more Minwax products!
    LLittle77
  • 5.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    08/15/2022
    Amazing Wood Stains
    I purchased this stain back in 2019 when i started my business. The dark walnut shade quickly became a favorite of mine. Now i notice I'm constantly reaching for it when it comes to my choice of stain. Love this product!
    Mare
  • 5.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    04/21/2022
    Love the look!
    This MINWAX Wood Finish penetrating stain in the Dark Walnut color worked great for my sign refurbish project. It's super easy to use with great instruction right on the can. The stain dries in 2 hours which is great to not have a project take forever. I love the way my signed looked after using this stain.
    JedI57
  • 5.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    04/09/2022
    Impressive
    I was looking for a product that would help these barrel planters look great again. I was amazed after use they turned out looking brand new. Minwax was easy to use drying time was super fast. I highly recommend this product the outcome is amazing.
    ChristineP
  • 5.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    03/18/2022
    Gorgeous Results!
    I am working on a few projects and I need an oil-based stain (Varnish). Therefore, I decided to pick up Minwax Wood Finish Penetrating Stain in Early American 230. By the way, Minwax has over 30 colors to choose from. Since it's an oil-based stain, the wood will have a sharper and deeper look along the wood grain. It is recommended to use the stain on bare wood after sanding and removing all sawdust. I sanded the wood I was going to stain and cleaned off the sawdust. Before using the stain I applied Minwax Pre-Stain to improve the appearance of the wood. I waited 15 minutes to wipe away any excess Pre-Stain left on the wood. Hint: Need a well ventilated area not in direct sunlight. I made sure to mix the stain well and grabbed my paint brush for oil-based stains. Hint: Use a smaller container to hold the stain while you work. When applying the stain, move at a slow but steady pace following the wood grain. Now, we wait 5 to 15 minutes before wiping off the excess stain with an old rag. In two hours the stain will be dry. The longer the stain stays on wood the darker it will get. I was elated to see the pieces of wood I worked on matched exactly as the color on the container. My project has the appearance of natural wood. Also, this product is made in the U.S. with global materials by The Minwax Company. #KeppOnFinishing #FinishedWithMinwax #Minwax #Reesetishas2cents #reesetisha #HonestReviewer #DIYProjects @minwaxusa @reesetisha
    reesetisha
  • 5.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    03/11/2022
    So pretty!
    I love this Minwax wood finish. The color of Golden Pecan is so pretty. This wood finish goes on smooth and it doesn't take much for it to cover quite a bit of area. It doesn't take long to dry. I love Minwax products and this one is a keeper!
    meda48
  • 5.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    03/09/2022
    Wood Stain
    Great product! When I picked this stain there was a lot of different colors to choose from. I chose mahgony and it is great color and it brings out the wood grain. With a few coats of polyurethane and it would make a beautiful wood Stain. I would recommend this.
    Kenny
  • 5.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    03/07/2022
    Wood finish
    Minwax is the best wood finish on the market you can use it for anything from handrails, window sills furniture and floors. Doesn't leave a mess and dries pretty quick. It goes a long way if you use it the right way. Will contiune to buy all minwax products.
    Bratzs
  • 5.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    03/06/2022
    Reliable stains
    I use the Minwax brand anytime I need an oil based stain. They give consistent results, are easy to apply and soak right in. It's also very forgiving if liquid stain drips on the project or is applied on unevenly at first, it won't blotch. When the excess is wiped off at the end, the color is even. A single coat is plenty for a lot of projects but I sometimes apply a second one to darken the final color. The latest color I've tried is the honey color. I've used it to stain pine wood rounds that will be made into decorative wall signs. The color was true to the reference shown on the can.
    LinceyP
  • 5.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    12/28/2021
    Worked a Treat
    We just got done using the Gunstock color to stain a floor we were refinishing. As part of our decision process, we also purchased in the neighborhood of ten half-pint cans in different colors, as well as half pint cans of poly in satin, semi-gloss, and high-gloss. We made up over twenty test samples using those stain colors alone and in combination. Deciding was difficult! Gunstock was what we landed on. We water popped the floor before wiping on the stain. I hand wiped it, timing each pass so as to allow for six minute intervals. I was careful to work at a consistent speed both in applying and in wiping. I'm really glad that I hand wiped the stain vs using a roller or an applicator on a pole. Hand wiping kept me close to the surface so that I could monitor how things were going. Just one room, so using a rag-on / rag-off method was easy and took maybe an hour at most. Knee pads! Next time I will use knee pads. LOL.
    JohnnyG
  • 1.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    09/30/2021
    Not the color I bought
    The golden oak stain is a lot darker than it was supposed to be. We have light wood in our bedroom, so it set us back on our bench project a whole day. We had to sand it all the way down to get even close to what we wanted.
    Bridget
  • 1.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    08/04/2021
    Has This Product been Changed?
    I have been mixing my own stain color for the last 15 years to match aged knotty pine in my cabin. Three parts natural, one part English chestnut worked beautifully and let the wood grain show through. Now, with the cans marked "semi-transparent, Dries in two hours" it goes on VERY orange and covers the wood grain like paint. Totally ruined a project trying to match the previous mixture. And yes, I set a timer and mixed it with a paint stirrer for ten minutes. I have never wiped it off in the past and wood grain showed perfectly. No idea how I will deal this, may have to switch the entire project to paint.
    janmcc
  • 1.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    07/29/2021
    Not a fan
    Puritan Pine stain is red and never on any documentation is that the representation of the color of this product. Instead of being a natural looking yellow pine, it is red. This ceiling is ruined.
    KC1234
  • 5.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    06/18/2021
    I love this product!
    Need I say more! I used 3 coates and sand between coates. I use 220 grit sandpaper between coates 1&2 and 320 grit between coates 2&3.
    Robl1118
  • 5.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    06/12/2021
    Red Chestnut
    I'm using Red Chestnut on pine stair treads (probably paint grade) and it is really beautiful. Sometimes it appears blotchy but I find it blends nicely in about 24 hours. I have used water based polycrillic over it for the low odor but I'm going to try polyurethane on the next project because it is smaller so it can stay in my shop for a week or two while the odor subsides.
    Grandpa Dave
  • 5.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    05/11/2021
    Awesome product to use with great results!
    This is STILL the only brand I will use and have been using it since I was a kid in wood shop in the early 80's. Three coats of poly is next and what used to be a sauna in the basement will be a functional shower. Thanks to Minwax for staying true to quality first!
    Jfyan
  • 5.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    03/07/2021
    Good product
    Works well, easy to apply and give a good looks to your wood. I did a lot of project with it over the last 5 years.
    Jerome
  • 5.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    02/25/2021
    Dark Walnut vs Provincial
    Great product! Dark Walnut on the top and Provincial on the bottom. Used Prestain Wood conditioner. 1 coat each on Oak.
    Kaitlyn