Polycrylic & Yellowing
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 16 ก.ย. 2024
- Bethany from Madeline Jean Antiques & Restoration gives you the low down on why your Polycrylic topcoat is yellowing.
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How To Apply Polycrylic:
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Well done 👏 preping is key. Preping is always a long process but it's the determining factor to the success of a project
Very true! Prepping isn't the most fun but it's vital for a successful outcome. Thanks for watching!
I’m just finishing an oak China cabinet with linen white chalk paint followed by poly acrylic. I now understand why I have a little yellowing going on. Any other Projects that I do will get properly prepped next time around. I love your videos as they’re so helpful. Keep them coming!
I love hearing my videos are being helpful! Thank you for leaving such a nice comment. I hope your china cabinet project ended up being successful.
I just painted my dressers with the help of this video and they turned out absolutely beautiful! Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with everyone ♥️
You are so welcome! I love hearing DIY success stories! Thank you for stopping by and leaving a comment :)
Thank you for the videos. I have always wanted to get into painting and refinishing furniture. Your videos are very helpful.
Erica Stavroules Hi there! I love hearing that my videos are being helpful 😊 You should try refinishing a piece of furniture. Start small. A small end table, a plant stand, something. It’s so therapeutic for me!
Hello Bethany, thank you for making this video. It brought to my attention what could happen if I don't properly prep. I'm new to the painting / staining world & I have a project coming up where I'm going to be making an indoor gate. I'm going to be staining my project, some boards will be stained & others won't. The process that I'm going to be going through is sanding all boards then applying pre stain wood conditioner then stain, only for the boards receiving stain (then a few coats of polycrylic), for the boards not receiving stain they will only have a few coats of polycrylic. Where would I apply the shellac & how many coats? The wood I'll be using is a whitewood from Lowe's. I'd like to say thank you in advance for any help that you can pass my way & I am a new subscriber to your channel & I'm looking forward to your future videos. Thank you again for your time & have a great day Bethany.
You have given THE best knowledge I’ve found on YT regarding this issue of “yellowing”. Thanks! I use my Cricut to make stencils for outside signs. I’ve found using the Kilz2 (water-based) is a great all purpose primer & sealer. Then I seal with Polycrylic (spray). Kilz2 is very economical at about $20/gallon. Might try it , but know it is white in color so you may need an extra coat of paint of going with dark colors. Thanks 🙏
Glad you found my video helpful. I find there's so much confusion regarding yellowing on furniture and people blame polycrylic. It's all about the prep.
Thank you so much for explaining and sharing how to prevent the yellowing, because I'm just learning how to make porch signs. I had just treated the knots on my 3 boards with shellac but I didn't cover the entire boards and then I painted them and let them dry and I realize I bought a can of Polycrylic and didn't remember what it was for, and when to use it, so I searched on TH-cam and came across your video, you really helped me, so since I was planning on do double sided signs, I will use the Polycrylic on the side that's painted already, and cover the other sides with shellac before painting.
Yes the yellowing can be frustrating especially if you aren't aware of wood tannins coming to the surface after you have painted. Shellac is a life saver and a must have especially over wood knots. I'm so glad this video helped you. I love porch signs! I see them all over my neighborhood.
Very helpfull and it makes sense. I was lost what to use on top of my paint. I painted 2 coats of primer, and 3 coats of off white latex. I don't want to risk ruining it so I will do the wax on top. I can see that your secret weapon is shellac. Great tip. Thank you.
Thank you for watching and taking the time to write a comment. Topcoats are usually the toughest parts of most projects. What product to use and how to apply it are big questions. Yes shellac is definitely my weapon when it comes prepping pieces of furniture.
Litteraly just got done spraying some polycrilic with my new hvlp. I was so nervous to spray but it ended up being great. Looks professional, was super fast and easy. Every time I see people talking about this yellowing it is absolutely a tannin problem. I always seal with a primer first.
Yesssssss! Thank you for saying this.....it's a tannin problem! What brand of hvlp do you have? I ask because I think I might start spraying my topcoat. Just curious. I'm happy to hear the polycrylic works well in a sprayer.
@@madelinejeanantiquesrestor9074 Minwax sells polycrylic in a spray can too.
@@madelinejeanantiquesrestor9074 I know it's been a year but I literally just saw you asked me this lol. I actually got a cheap $40 eclectic hplv sprayer on Amazon and it's been great. Still using it.
So glad I found this video! I make handlettered wood signs and had my white lettering (on a dark stained board) yellow overnight after I put krylon spray poly on it that specifically said “non yellowing.” I’m going to redo and shellac over my stain before I put my lettering on and see if that helps!
I'm curious did the Shellac help with the yellowing?
Thank you for sharing your challenge with yellowing over white paint. Now I have a good idea of how to repair and avoid in the future.
Exactly the information I needed! Now I know what I've been doing wrong this whole time. Thanks for the info!
You are so welcome! Glad it helped!
Good information, thanks!
Also, I've been around the block quite a few times now... But that was the first "toodle loo" bombing I'd ever heard. 🤣🤣🤣
Russell Borrego Hahaha! My grandpa used to say either Toodle loo and Cheerio when he signed off from talking with you. Glad you found the video informative.
I had this problem…polyacrylic. I prepped with krudcutter, sanding and primed with kilz. Ugh next day…random bleed thru. I have been going crazy. This is SO helpful. What is the nylon boot for the brush? I’m going to watch ALL your videos now. I subscribe…I like your teaching style. Congrats on 19.9 subscribers when I’m watching this on 01/20/23!
Hi Tammi! I’m so happy this video helped you figure out the bleed thru issue. I’ve been there. So frustrating! I place the nylon booty over the 2” foam brush because it helps pop any air bubbles while applying the Polycrylic. It ensures I get a smooth application. Thank you for subscribing to my channel! I’m almost at 20k! Whoo hoo!
Where do I purchase a nylon booty…it that the actual name of it
I order mine off Amazon. Here's the link: amzn.to/3Xx9QLw
Glad I watched this. I am out to buy Polycrylic tomorrow. I will pick up some Shellac too :)
Thanks for watching! Smart lady!!! I hope your project turns out well!
@@madelinejeanantiquesrestor9074 None of the hardware stores in town had any Shellac based primer in stock. I ended up buying Kilz Restoration (used to be Kilz Max) instead as it says it has oil and shellac based performance. Will this be okay to use?
polycrylic absolutely turns surfaces yellow. mostly white painted surfaces will turn yellow with poly. you may be correct about the wood bleed but the fact remains poly does turn white paint yellow
All white surfaces will turn yellow with OIL BASED poly. Polycrylic is water based. I still have a dresser, that I painted white and sealed with polycrylic and it has not turned yellow. It's all about the prep.
As far as cleaning up poly dust, try using a dry cloth, not the waxy ones. Norton makes a dry tack microfiber cloth, it's red no waxy substrate instead it has ridges that are designed to pick up debris instead of moving such as a regular micro fiber towel. And the best part that is washable therefore reusable.
Good to know!! Thanks for the heads up!
Zinsser BIN has a Shellac based primer which is the best of both worlds and it doesn't raise the grain since its not water based. Light sanding in between coats and you're ready for paint.
Yes very true! I really like the Zinsser BIN Shellac based primer in white IF I don't mind having a white colored base. Especially if I desire to distress a piece and have that white peeking through BUT sometimes I don't want a white base that's when the clear Shellac comes into place.
Small furniture projects and dark colors you can get away with most acrylic clear coats, but if you are doing kitchen cabinets and you have a window shining sunshine on them it will yellow where the sun hits them even with shellac. But General finishes has an acrylic poly that has a UV protective additive in the coat you have to use a shellac primer but I have cabinets for clients going back 8 years now with no yellowing. I have used most all other acrylic clear coats and they have yellowed with shellac primer using krudd cutter gloss off for prep happening 8 months later. I will say though I have yet to use the Minwax brand and stopped to watch this because of the high demand for flat matt look on cabinets, and they have a matt I believe so to make this test truly correct I think you need to mask off one side of the board and set it in the sun for a while. I would love it if you did that.
Great points Amanda! Yes I would advise anyone applying a clear topcoat to get one with a UV protective if your project is exposed to direct sun daily. I personally have had good luck with the Minwax Polycrylic over white paint with proper prep. I have a few pieces in my home and years later they still haven't yellowed. Thank goodness! Regarding the matte finish with Minwax Polycrylic. It's not truly matte. It still looks a bit satin. I did another video not too long ago comparing the Minwax Polycrylic and Modern Masters Dead Flat Varnish. You might find that video helpful. Oh and great suggestion with placing the Minwax Polycrylic in the sun for awhile. I still have my sample boards with the white paint and that as a topcoat. I could easily place the board in the sun and do a follow up video. Thanks again for stopping by and leaving your thoughts. Appreciate it!
Just started upcycling dressers and this video was very helpful and fun! Thank you 🙂
Glad it was helpful!
Ty for this
You're welcome!
Thank you
You're welcome
If you put it on too thick over light-colored paint it has a reaction with the titanium dioxide and turns yellow almost instantly, that's why you put lots of thin coats instead of one thick coat. Especially over white paint.
Great explanation! Thanks for sharing.
One way of stopping the grain showing through is before you paint put a very thin small amount of water on it to raise the grain then sand and due this like two times or until very little grain raises. Then wait for the wood to fully dry before priming that should help or at least it does for me and with oak it takes more times of lightly watering then sand for the grain to not raise.
Cool, thanks! I appreciate you sharing that method.
Hi my name is Lily I enjoyed your info but I did prep well I believe I primed twice painted two coats then lightly sanded the added poly acrylic twice and there was yellowing I always ever since I was 15 yrs old to do makeovers on furniture love it I just started to do it all over again I want to flip furniture and give a customer the best quality work that’s me if it’s not right it won’t sell So please help I get overwhelmed with so many opinion’s thank you
I have one question for you the primer that you used was it shellac based? It needs to read shellac based on the can it’s by Zinsser and it has a red label.
Hi Madeline. So happy I found your channel. I'm painting a dresser / changing table for a friend. I primed with Zinsser BIN. I will be applying Behr chalk paint in a white. My question is, will a WATER BASED Polyurethane yellow? Only asking because that is something I purchased already and want to know if I need to make another trip to HD for the Polycrylic. Thanks for your helpful channel!!
Hi there! It all depends on your prepping. Yellowing happens because of wood tannins coming to the surface after your topcoat gets applied. I like using Shellac to seal wood tannins. I usually apply two coats, then paint, then my topcoat. If your Zinsser BIN doesn't have shellac in it (I believe they carry a version that does) then you may have yellowing.
I'm planning to put polycrylic over bare wood. Would I still need to use clear Shellac before the top coat?
No. You don't need to put on Shellac before the Polycrylic.
Thanks for the tip. Seems like shellac will probably make stripping paint off easier someday too. Right?
Glad you found the video helpful! I'm not sure if Shellac will help in the future to make stripping paint easier.
I know this is an old video, so I hope you will still get comments and questions. I used a light blue/greenish chalk paint, and when I used the Minwax polyacrylic top coat, I got yellow streaks very quickly, before it was dry. Do I have to completely sand all of my paint before I shellac. and start from scratch? Or can I sand off the yellowing, shellac and redo the top coat? This is my first tester piece and did not shellac, only , cleaned, sanded, cleaned and used chalk paint.
I just completed brass lamps using this product over Old White Chalk Paint (which is water based). I applied 2 coats of the Polycrylic and it definitely yellowed the finished product., immediately. Please explain.
Did you seal the brass lamps before painting?
I'm just curious, please if you don't mind sharing could you tell me why you prefer using the Shellac more than primer? I'm aware shellac is derived from an excretion from bugs which to me makes it sound more natural & less chemically. Excellent video by the way, thank you for clearing this mystery about poly yellowing or not up for me, made lots of sense.
I prefer using Shellac over primer because a lot of the time I like to distress my pieces of furniture and I don't want the primer peeking through. I'd rather have just the raw wood peeking through. Sometimes I do use primer that has Shellac in the primer. If I want white peeking through under my paint color then yes primer with Shellac will be used.
Hi ma’am, I have wood table that had a dark brown stain. I sanded, cleaned with acetone, sanded again, cleansed with tsp. After letting it dry I rolled on 2 or 3 coats of zinsser blocking primer and days later 3 or 4 coats of oil based satin paint. It’s been about a month now and no yellowing but I have no top coat. So my question is.... Can I apply the polycrylic or shellac and apply a water base white paint and then polycrylic?
Madeline, great video, thank you for sharing your expertise.
I’ve redone my stairs, painting the risers and spindles white. Used two coats of oil based primer and two coats of acrylic latex. It has cured for 30 days.
I want to put two coats of General Finishes High Performance water based top coat on them.
Do you think the oil based primer will prevent the tannin bleeding?
Was the oil based primer have Shellac added? That's the only way to truly know if the wood tannins will be blocked. You need the Shellac.
You're videos are very helpful! What's the difference between primer and shellac, and why do you prefer shellac?
Lindsey Walters I’m so glad you are finding my videos helpful! I have found Shellac has never failed me when it comes to blocking tannins and bleed thru. I do apply two coats of shellac. Primer has been hit and miss with blocking tannins. That’s why I prefer shellac.
I used polyurethane on just a chalk painted piece immediately yellowed after drying. I went ahead and sanded everything and primed the piece. I’m hoping it won’t yellow again after the top coat. I’m gonna try polycrylic next
When starting out stick to the rule....only water based topcoats over water based paints. Only oil based topcoats over oil based paints. That might help. I hope the Polycyrlic worked out for you.
@@madelinejeanantiquesrestor9074 thank you so much! I have yet to actually try it on my piece but I did a test on a block of wood and I haven’t seen yellowing and it’s been a few days! Fingers crossed 🤞🏻 🙂
Dope shirt
I was so happy to watch this video about preparing the wood to prevent yellowing.
I’m making a high top table with barstools. I’m wanting a weathered gray with white glaze effect. I used gel stain (weathered gray) on pine without prepping wood. I actually applied heavy with a brush. Let dry and wiped any left off with a dry cloth. Next applied GF white glaze and let dry. I then used my sander to remove some of the white glaze and gray started to be exposed as well. It had a weathered look about it which I loved put a spar polyurethane and watched my boards turn yellow. 😢
I then sanded all the boards close to but not completely removing all poly and all gel stain plus glaze. Help! I bought shellac tonight and poly acrylic. Ready to start over. Any suggestions? Wish I could share a picture.
omg thanks so much. It's frustrating bc I can't find another video that gives me better info
STAR Ed Awesome! I hope this video answered your questions.
I purchased the Triple Thick Polyurethane product to seal a tumbler I was working on. An epoxy alternative but unfortunately, the project yellowed after a few days and now I’m wondering if this would still apply to tumblers as well? Considering this information was specifically for wood. I sanded down the areas, and some of the yellow came off. But there are still some yellowing. So a part of me feels like I have to start over. Either way, this was a good start to understanding what happened to my project. Thanks!
Oh that stinks! From what I know oil based poly yellows or ambers a bit no matter what. Some more than others. When I apply oil based poly over my stains the ambering doesn't really matter much because it won't be seen. So your tumbler is made of wood? Maybe try the water based Polycrylic instead.
Thank you for a wonderful video. I really hope you see this. I’m working on stainway, the steps stain and the side of the stairs white. I did sand and prime. But it turned yellow. Should I sand it and then put shellac on the sides? Should I put shellac on the steps as well. I’m doing this for the first time.
No shellac needed on the stained part of your steps. I would, though, apply a heavier duty topcoat over the stained portion of your stained steps like an oil based poly. They will get a lot of traffic compared to the painted white sides and although Polycrylic is durable you’re going to need something stronger for the actual steps. The sides of your steps that you were painting white that turned yellow, yes lightly hand sand (just to rough up the surface a bit), shellac (2 coats, don’t worry it dries super fast), repaint and then apply Polycrylic again. I hope that helps.
Thank you so much for a quick response. Which would be the heavy duty too coat for the stained stairs? And which grit sand paper should I use to lightly sand the sides of the stairs that turned yelllow?
Yes, it does yellow. It says so right there on the can: "...oil- based stains, oil based and latex paints or other coatings applied under polycrylic finish may amber normally". They don't explain what "normally" means, but it turned my cool gray cabinet doors into a much warmer gray. Haven't decided if I like it. So beware, and test it first before you paint your whole job.
Did you apply Shellac before you painted your cabinets gray?
@@madelinejeanantiquesrestor9074 kilz oil based primer. This isn't tannins; it's an even, uniform color change over the entire surface. I even painted it on a piece of white plastic to test and it dried yellowish.
@@claudiaihl6692 I don’t have any yellowing with this product as long as I Shellac beforehand. You should try it. I paint a lot of furniture and need to seal said painted furniture. I have found Shellac to be the only solution. I’ve tried Kilz in the past and that didn’t help with the yellowing or stains coming through. Shellac is the holy grail to me.
@@madelinejeanantiquesrestor9074 well, yes, but this isn't stains coming through. This is the polycrylic's own native color. It says so right there on the can that it will yellow. If you compare a panel you used polycrylic on to one you didn't, you'll probably see a difference. Might be insignificant over warm colors like beige or cream, but over cool colors it will definitely change the tint.
If I use minwax's polyurethane water-based top coat instead of the polycrylic, will it's yellow my white chalk painted furniture?
It should not IF IF IF you prep correctly.
Hi there. Thank you so much for this video. I make faux aged mantles and hearths . I used water-based stains to get beautiful gray and black tones. Everything I have tried, including shellac has yellowed one of my test mantels . I don’t have time to wait for the dead flat varnish. And it is way too pricey in my opinion. What can I use that wont ruin the beautiful light grey colors I’ve made ? It needs to have a flat look . Rustoleum Matte Clear Enamel does ok and was the least yellow . It changed the color the least of all things I tried . I tried shellac ( most yellow of all ) , Minwax Polycrylic , Varathane Ultimate Water Based Ploy , Perma Chink water based sealant . And the Rustoleum spray . It will be in a rental house. That is really the only reason I want to seal it . It’ll get destroyed fast . Have you tried wood hardener? I wonder if it would yellow? By the way , I’m using pine wood . Thank you so much 😊
As a semi-professional woodworker, I have found Polycrylic may be the worst water based/waterborne product currently on the market for furniture type finishing. It has nothing to do with yellowing but the quality and ease of use. Like most Minwax products, It's great DYI product for finish house trim but not so much with furniture type pieces. For DYI'ers, I would start with looking at Target Coatings. In my shop, we spray 95% of our projects so water borne lacquer's are usually our preferred choice. Shewin Williams KempAqua or ML Campbell.
Im already paint my dresser with oil based paint,can u suggest any top coat to prevent it from it turn yellow?
I'm late to the game here but I have a question. I purchased a console table that in my opinion has an inadequate top coat. It is white. Since it has already been top coated, if I apply a couple additional coats of polycrylic do I have to worry about yellowing? Also is it even ok to add poly to an already finished piece?
Yes you will have to worry about yellowing because you don't know how they prepped this table before they painted it. Also applying a new poly topcoat on top of an existing topcoat it may not adhere, it may fish eye, it might not be compatible. Water based vs. oil based.
@@madelinejeanantiquesrestor9074 thanks so much for your reply. I took a chance and did it and got lucky. It stayed perfectly white except for one spot that showed the wood grain has some faint yellowing on the grain that shows though. I'm hoping it doesn't worsen too much over time. I will definitely follow you advice for future projects 🙂
Hi Madeline! Thanks for uploading a great video. I recently sanded, primed and painted my kitchen cabinets white and decided that I would repaint and seal in the spring. There’s no yellowing at all three weeks later, but in the Spring, do you recommend that I start from scratch with your method?
That depends. What are your cabinets made of?
What can be used on reclaimed cypress? We made a coffee table & it's so beautiful with absolutely nothing on it, but I know it needs to be protected somehow. I put a polycrylic matte finish on it after sanding with 120g & it darkened it up way too much. Sanding it back & starting over...help.
I'm working on an oak china cabinet and primed with zinnsser bin with shellac (in a can with red printing). After watching videos I'm worried about top coating, but it's being put in my dining area and I'd like to have a durable finish on it. Do you think that it'll yellow being that I used the zinnsser bin with shellac? I just found your videos and you have so much great advice. Thank you so much!
I'm using that primer over my oak cabinets. Needs 2 coats and then I use the latex white paint. So far so good.
You should be okay. As long as the primer has Shellac you should be good.
Yes I sand then wipe. Then use Zinsser shellac then kilz 2 water base then Behr chalk paint. Then used the Minwax water based polycrylic clear stain then it cracks? What am I doing wrong? How can I fix this? Could it be to hot outside?
Thank you very informative video. One question, do you sand between coats of polycrylic?
Yes I do. I did another tutorial on how to sand in-between coats.
Can you fix it after the fact without sanding and repainting again? Mine was pine and it's super yellow
No you can't unfortunately. If you want to fix it after you painted and then used a topcoat....apply shellac (2 coats), then repaint, then reapply your topcoat.
@@madelinejeanantiquesrestor9074 could another solution be using chalkboard paint to avoid having to sand?
Interesting video with good info. Thanks! So, is it the polycrylic that will bring up the tannins? I ask because I painted some red oak stair railings white. I did a scuff sand, used UMA Xim bonder/primer, then a coat of General Finish primer/sealer on top of that. Next, I painted it white with Behr Scuff Defense Ultra. After a week, no bleed through. This is my experience using the primers. But, I do want to add a topcoat, such as polycrylic. Will the polycrylic force the tannins up?
Unfortunately there is no way to 100% know if the wood tannins will be pulled up if you didn't block with a shellac based primer. A regular primer usually doesn't contain shellac unless stated so on the can. So you do risk wood tannins being pulled through to the surface OR you could get lucky and they won't get pulled through.
My furniture was used oil based white paint,should i sand off first the surface before repaint it with polycrylic?
Can I only use polycrylic over chalk paint or can it be used with other types of paint? I am going to paint a dresser white but unsure of the best kind of paint for the project.
I have used water based polycrylic over just latex paint. No issues. If you use Polycrylic over white paint please prep correctly BEFORE you paint. I would apply two coats of Shellac BEFORE you paint to block wood tannins and stains.
I absolutely agree with priming before painting, especially light colored paint! Here's a question I have for you. I recently restored a 100 year old piece that a client wanted painted and distressed. I used an off white paint made by The Chippy Barn (not cheap). I always read to distress after you paint, which I did. However, once I applied the polycyrlic crystal clear ultra flat, it immediately started to yellow. I tried another area that was not distressed and no yellow. My conclusion is that once the polycyrlic touched the areas that were distressed (exposed wood) it caused bleeding or tannins to surface. My question is, do you think I should distress after I apply the polycyrlic topcoat instead distressing after painting? I really don't want to have to redo the entire piece. What are your thoughts?
Great question! So normally I'll use clear wax to my distressed pieces for this very reason. I normally sand and stain my furniture tops, usually the drawer fronts too. I use oil based poly for the topcoat on those areas. On the shell of the piece of furniture I usually wax. If I do use a water based poly on the shell I usually distress after I paint and BEFORE I apply polycrylic. I really haven't had an issue with yellowing in distressed areas but I could see how yellowing would happen if polycrylic is applied after it's freshly distressed and the wood tannins get exposes again. I guess it depends on the wood, how much wood is exposed after distressing, etc. I would do as you suggest, distress AFTER you apply polycrylic.
@@madelinejeanantiquesrestor9074 That's what I did and it worked; repainted then applied polycyrlic and distressed after the polycyrlic. I even tried the clear wax but no avail. Distressing last worked! Thanks for you feedback. Btw, it was 100 year old mahogany wood.
I am going to do my first time ever refinish project. It is an Oak bedroom set for a kids room. Should I shellac it or is any primer ok? And then is there a particular type of paint, I read Interior Latex Semi-Gloss? It will be a done in dark grey. I am also leaning towards the Polycrylic Spray since I saw one of your videos mentioned preferably using the Gel Topcoat on oil based paint and water based on water? Also, thank you for your videos they have been very informative
Sorry for the delay in responding. I've been moving. When it comes to either shellac or primer personally I like using shellac. The reason is because shellac has never failed me with blocking wood tannins. Primer has failed me a few times. I do apply two coats of the shellac. Yes use a water based topcoat over latex paint, not the Gel Topcoat.
Will it yellow if you put a glaze on it?
If you have prepped correctly it should not.
Ugh. I used krud kutter and did two layers of shellac on my piece and painted light pink and then polycrylic and it still yellowed. 😞
Oh noooooo!!!! Hmmmm what type of wood? Do you happen to know? What kind of paint? Trying to get to the bottom of why it yellowed.
@@madelinejeanantiquesrestor9074 thank you for responding! I just came across your channel while searching how to fix this issue! I used Krylon chalk paint. I think it’s a cherry wood possibly. I’m new to this, so I’m learning as I’m going. I’d post pics to show you, but TH-cam doesn’t have that option. My question now would be, if you do not mind answering, should I just shellac again over the spots that have tan bleed through and then paint back over those spots? I even thought about getting the kilz 123. I’m not sure what to do. 😭😭 It’s very stressful as I’m painting several pieces at a time.
I applied the shellac on top of my white chalk paint then repainted the white chalk. I used a water based top coat to finish and it still yellowed. What do you recommend I do??
Geez that's frusturating! Okay under your white chalk paint how did you prep your piece? What type of wood is under the paint?
@@madelinejeanantiquesrestor9074 I am not sure of the wood. The dining set is over 50 years old. I sanded the varnish off and used liquid sandpaper (two coats) before applying the chalk paint. When I seen the yellowing start after 3 coats of white chalk paint, I applied the shellac sealer (one coat). Painted the white chalk paint over top. Went to use the General finish satin top coat and it was yellow instantly. I sanded it. Then reapplied another coat of white chalk paint and used the krylon wax chalk paint sealer. No yellowing BUT afraid ever little stain will attach and I will have to redo this over and over again. PLEASE HELP!
@@taylorsewell8291 how did it go. I think mine are starting to yellow.
I'm painting my kitchen cabinets that were previously stained and looked to be shellaced. So far they are sanded, cleaned off with rubbing alcohol, and primed. Next step is paint and seal. Should I shellac between?
Depends on what color you are painting your cabinets AND what type of topcoat you will be applying.
We do round signs. We stain, then tape off, paint White. The white will yellow. Please advise? Should we use shellac only in that area before we paint. Yes, we are allowing the water-based stain to dry 24 hrs or more
When you stain are you staining the area that's going to be white too? I just curious about the prep area for the white area. I would definitely tape off the white area (if you can) and not stain it. Then apply shellac to that area (2 coats) and then paint white.
I have a project I am working on that I stained first then applied white chalk paint and it looked awesome in my opinion. Well my husband applied polycrylic and yep it yellowed and I am feeling defeated. I am worried that the rest of the pieces that will go with it will do the same thing. Since the other pieces have not been received their coat of polycrylic yet can I apply two coats of the shellac or prime over the current chalk paint and start the process over. I was distressing it to the color stain and now unsure what to use.
Sorry to hear you are frustrated. I've been there with the yellowing. You can apply the Shellac over the paint and then repaint and THEN apply the Polycrylic. I know it's a lot of work but it will be worth it.
Thank you for all these very helpful info! Can you apply Polycrilic with a roller? I’m more of a roller person lol. Thanks!
Diana M Tarzia Hi Diana! Thank you for liking the video 😊 I would not recommend applying Polycrylic with a roller mainly because it will leave bubbles, tiny little bubbles when you roll it. I’ll admit I like applying paint sometimes with a roller but unfortunately this product doesn’t go on smooth with a roller.
Hi! Hoping you see this. I painted and sealed my wood piece with poly and it turned yellow quickly after. I bought shellac after seeing this video. Can I just put the two coats of shellac on (without sanding it) right over my painted and sealed piece?
Yes you should be able to just apply the Shellac (2 coats), repaint and then reseal.
Just curious. Would you get the same affect if you apply polycrylic first instead of shellac, then white paint, then the topcoat of polycrylic?
Are you asking if Polycrylic will block tannins? If so the answer is no.
Would you still do the shellac step if your putting vinyl graphics on the wood?
I would apply the shellac first then your vinyl graphics.
Enjoy your videos and are very helpful. One question, do I need to sand after applying shellac?
That's great to hear that they are being helpful. To answer your question...no you don't need to sand after you shellac. (let me add this...one time I applied Shellac too heavily, had too much on my brush and it left a drip mark. I didn't see the drip mark until after it dried. I did have to sand down that drip mark with 150 grit sand paper. Easy fix but I thought I would share).
My brand new white dresser has really yellowed in a year like a heavy smoker , not refinished - NEW from a store - very yellow help!
What are you specifically asking?
@@madelinejeanantiquesrestor9074 I guess my only option is to hand paint with latex should I do a primer first?
Not sure if you'll see this, but I recently used a water-based stain blocking primer on a desk with the intention of painting it off white. I'm worried about tannins after seeing this video! Would using shellac OVER the primer work? Then paint, then Polycrylic? I don't want to mess up my work, lol
Yes you can apply Shellac right over the primer. Then paint. Then Polycrylic. Easy fix.
@@madelinejeanantiquesrestor9074 Thanks so much!
Can you use chalk paint over shellac ? I used general finished high performance top coat I loved it except it yellowed over time. Any advice would help! Thanks
Yes you can apply chalk paint over Shellac. I do it all the time. Usually the reason your topcoat yellowed is because of the original finish under the paint wasn't properly prepped. I use GF High Performance Flat (water based) and it doesn't yellow.
I have a question when it comes to painting "faux wood" I want to paint the cabinets in my RV and have heard that Polyacrylic causes the yellowing on white? Does "faux wood" have tannins?
Faux wood does not have tannins. Polycrylic and yellowing happens when people don't prep correctly or let the product pool in a corner.
What if you just want a bare natural finish thats matte/flat for White Oak, and you dont want color or paint? What process works for that to not yellow?
I would use all water based products.
I've seen you use liming wax followed by minx semi-transparent paint in white for a 'driftwood' type of effect where the grain pops through. If that were done on mahogany what can I basecoat for it to adhere and still show grain and topcoat with to avoid yellowing? And yes, I stripped and sanded ALL of the old finish off. This is a piece for a rental and I would like to protect it as best as possible. Thanks!
I had a very dark twin bed frame that I primed with Valspar bonding primer then pained with Valspar cabinet white paint. I wanted to add a top coat for a bit of a glossy finish and I bought polycrylic. I’ve never used this before so I’m a little scared. Do you think it’s a wise idea to use the polycrylic?
I want you to know that you YOU sold me on purchasing a frestool 150 sander and CT126E dust vac..Frestool should give you a lot of their products...i have seen some men who do videos get entire sets from Frestool...So I hope you can go after the products too...
How do you like your Festool sander and dust extractor? I need to hear an update!
Yes I agree! Festool needs to send me some goodies!!!
Do you need the shellac over water based stained surface? We had some bare wood (cedar I think) and we stained it with minwax color wash in white and now we are getting ready to seal it with polycrylic. Will it yellow or pull through the tannis as it does over paint?
Is there a reason why you are using a water based sealer (Polycrylic) over the minwax, which is oil based?
I just used it today. Hope it doesn't yellow on my chalk projects.
That depends if you prepped your piece correctly, which I hope you did. That's what causes most, if not all, yellowing issues.
Hello I would love to have your opinion on a wood table that was made for me out 2 by 6 wood slabs. They are just stander hardware store wood pieces. I used minwax wood effects to help age them. I was going to use minwax polyacrylic for the top coat however this is for a high traffic area and after watching your videos I think I made a big mistake. I also have a soft wax I could use. What do you think would work best? Sorry to bother you with this and thank you for your time.
Hi just wondering does this advice also apply to new unfinished pine wood furniture? I want to paint part of my project white.
Yes very much! Definitely shellac the pine wood before you paint. Pine wood definitely is prone to the tannins coming thru the paint if you don't prep right, especially the wood knots.
This video was so informative! Glad I came across it ... I have one question (hopefully). I purchased a piece of unfinished European walnut butcher block from Home Depot to make a desk and bought Varathane Pre-stain wood conditioner for prepping the wood. Will this serve the same purpose as the shellac or should I return it and get shellac instead to avoid yellowing?
sandj2913 Glad you found the video informative. Question for you the wood that you purchased what are you planning on doing with it? Keeping it natural? Staining it? Painting it?
Madeline Jean Antiques & Restoration, LLC I purchased some Waverly chalk paint in 3 different colors to try and give the desk a weathered look that I’m going for.
sandj2913 OK so to answer your original question (now that I know that you’re painting the wood). Wood conditioner is not the same as shellac. Wood conditioner will not block the tannins. Shellac will. You do not need to apply wood conditioner if you’re going to paint the wood. That’s used before you stain the wood. When you’re done painting the wood make sure you use a topcoat or a sealer that is water-based.
Madeline Jean Antiques & Restoration, LLC thanks so much!!! Will definitely be going to get some shellac and I purchased polycrylic sealer based on your reviews from another video. Thank you 😊
Dear Bethany, new Subscriber here with a query about this yellowing issue.
My project: Danish Modern mahogany dining table, sanded bare with a Skil orbital, and stained with 2 coats of Red Mahogany #225. THREE topcoats brushed on top of the stain using oil-based, satin-finish Polyurethane. I still want more gloss, more glassy finish.
But expert-friend argues against a 4th coat of Poly. He says it will "yellow" the tabletop. Your video seems to suggest that would only happen if I were A) Using a WATER-based Poly, and B) If my stained tabletop was a LIGHTER color than Red Mahogany.
I have I read / heard that right?
Would you green-light a 4th coat of my Ace Polyurethane?
(solid mahogany, not veneer).
Thank U in advance for any guidance from you or your community in this thread 🙏
Thank you for subscribing Paul! To answer your question about yellowing most oil based finishes with most likely amber immediately after applying or over time. Just keep that in mind. Since your table top is Red Mahogany you already probably have natural amber tones going on already. You are most likely okay to apply a 4th coat of poly. I would suggest if you are looking for a beautiful gloss finish with a glass like appearance I would use Arm R Seal by General Finishes in Gloss. I get flawless results every time I use it. It's my go to topcoat.
Thank you so much for the detail and specifics! I have it in a cart ✅@@madelinejeanantiquesrestor9074
@@paulkaihla7743 You’re so welcome!
Hi, I got a pink painted dresser from a thrift store and I planned on stripping and repainting it. I ended up listing it for sale because it was taking up too much space while I was waiting for my paint to be delivered. I noticed a thick yellowish/orange coat in some places on top of the pink paint. Is this what you are talking about in this video? It looked disgusting.
It certainly could have been. Usually the yellow bled thru has a gross look to it.
Do i need to use shellac for
-Acrylic paint
-oil paint
-concrete
-air dry clay
Or do i only need shellac for woods?
I only apply Shellac over wood surfaces to block tannins before I paint.
I already painted my mdf shelve with regular white paint can I still add the shellac then repaint and lastly the polyacrylic
Yes you can! Do what you just said above and you will be okay.
I have yellow knotty pine tongue and groove wood walls that I used water-based stains on. The first stain I put on was white, and the next was light gray. I have a new quart of the water-based polyurethane by minwax. I'm afraid to use it on my walls that I worked so hard on to get the great color I have on the walls now. Do you think it's OK to leave the walls as is with just the stains or would putting on the water-based polyurethane bring out the tannins of the wood since there's only 2 coats of stain?
I also plan to use the same gray stain on some wood furniture, but I'm afraid to cover them with the polyurethane for the same reasons. Please help!
Glad I subbed lol watched so many of your vids just now. If I do a different top coat, such as the Rustoleum chalk top coat, would I still have an issue with the tannins? Thank you 🤗
Hey there! Thank you so much for the sub! To answer your question even if you do a different topcoat (make sure it's water based) over your white paint you will most likely have issues with tannins. I would definitely prep with Shellac before you paint.
@@madelinejeanantiquesrestor9074 Awesome, thank you so much 😸
So what do I do after you already applied the minwax clear matte and it yellowed. I prep my dresser used citrus strip to get rid of the stain. We sanded. Then I used Chalk paint dried over night. Then put the minwax clear matte. It gave us a yellowish tinge to my gray paint. How do I fix it? Do I have to take all the paint off and start all over?
Sounds like you needed a blocking barrier, like Shellac, applied after you sanded and BEFORE you painted. To fix the yellowing, just apply two coats of Shellac and repaint. That should block any of the yellowing from happening again.
Will the Zinsser 123 primer prevent tannins from coming through?
If it has Shellac in it yes it will. I prefer just using straight Shellac.
Hello Madeline. New on your chanel☺ and i love your job. It helps a lot.Congratulations😚
Can i put polycrilic over the wax?!
Hi there! Welcome to my channel!!! Glad my videos are being helpful. Wax is always last is the saying in the furniture restoration world. You can put wax OVER polycryclic but you can't put polycrylic over wax. It won't adhere well.
Thank you☺
Kisses from Portugal😚
Will the shellac yellow?
Cant believe I havent seen this video until now, I have always had an issue with this. My question if anyone can answer, I have this same issue with polyurithane, will this shallac before paint trick work for that too?
I would not use an oil based polyurethane over paint. It will most likely yellow the paint. Anything oil based will.
I paid a professional and it still yellowed. After watching this video, now I know why.
Oh no!!!! They probably didn't prep correctly. I would ask them how they prepped.
I just used it over a dark green furtinure, I waited 2 days after painting and I feel like it messed up my paint. Will the patches disappear after drying?
How many coats have you put on? When you say patches what does that exactly mean? Spots that you have missed?
@@madelinejeanantiquesrestor9074 I only applied one coat. And by patches I meant that some parts look darker. I had to sand and paint again :( no polycrylic this time haha
To help you picture the result I had, it was like a very vintage finish, very "brush strokes" look.
I made a mistake by putting wax on top of my dining room table, can I add varathane on top or do I need to paint again?
You would need to remove the wax with mineral spirits before you apply the varathane topcoat.
Hello! Does this prepping process apply to particleboard/veneer? I want to paint an Ikea bookcase in a light color, but I don't know if it's necessary to sand/shellac. I have polycrylic and a water based paint, and I don't want it to yellow (if that's even possible for composite wood) Thank you for the info!
Hi there! To be honest I've never painted particleboard before. Definitely don't sand it with a sander it will rip it apart. I know that much. I do know people do paint particleboard/pressed wood. I'm just not sure how much prep is needed because it's not real wood. Shellac is mainly used to prevent the wood tannins from coming to the surface. You wouldn't have that issue. I think you would be okay to just paint.
@@madelinejeanantiquesrestor9074 OK great! Thats good to know! I'll go ahead with just the paint/polycrylic. I do want to eventually redo a few real wood furniture pieces so I think the prep technique will come handy for those. Thanks for the help!
Can you apply shellac or primer with a sprayer or a foam brush?
Lindsey Walters I don’t use a sprayer with any of my products. I’m sure other people use a sprayer when it comes to primer. I apply the shellac with a cheap chip brush. I usually apply primer with my Cling On Brush.
How can I send you a pic of a dining room table I’d like to refinish? I’d like to get your opinion on what color to either paint or stain it!
Hi Shannon,
You can send it to me through my FB business page. You can find me on Facebook at Madeline Jean Antiques & Restoration, LLC. Thanks!
Btw love your channel and your calm and clear approach sub!
Welcome aboard! Thank you!
hi, can I use sand sealer as a primer instead of shellac?
I haven't used sand sealer before so I don't know if blocks wood tannins or not. Great question!
I wish I learned about your advice earlier! I took my time prepping my pine shiplap boards! I used a wood conditioner as I had been adviced to do before staining. I then used white paint over the top of the stain and heavily distressed! After which used polycrylic! The next day after nailing all the boards up I noticed half the boards had started yellowing and some had not. My question is should I have used shellac over the stain first before painting? And how do I fix this now without starting all over?
Usually you use Shellac BEFORE you paint. I'm not understanding why you stained and then painted? Most people don't mix the two.
@@madelinejeanantiquesrestor9074 I'm going to stain an unfinished wood table (I think it's pine) and was going to apply a wood conditioner before as step #1. Should I apply the conditioner AND shellac before staining or just shellac? Last step after staining would be to apply polycrylic.
@@alejandraramirez9032 I’m confused as to why you are using Shellac and Polycrylic over the stain? Are you applying an oil based or water based stain?