Can You Use Oil Based Stain With Water Based Polyurethane. Water based polyurethane has both a duller color and a duller finish. There is no contest on the durability generally, maple (without a stain) looks better with water borne poly. This can also be used to speed up the process because the shellac can go directly onto oiled wood without waiting for the oil to dry.
It's the project, not the product, that determines our choice.
Minwax water based polyurethane over minwax wood finish stains. Water based polyurethane has both a duller color and a duller finish. For the longest time my very favorite stain color has been minwax dark walnut. Are there any potential incompatibilities? Learn about the difference between water based and oil based polyurethane and how to be able to apply water based polyurethane over oil based stain. Oil and water are famous for repelling one another and not mixing. This makes it ideal for use on furniture, doors. We use both types with excellent results.
