Water-based poly can have adhesion problems when ... Once the finish is used, it will be polluted with little bits of dried ...

Dry time: Water-based poly can take hours to dry ... The main difference? Varnish offers more resistance to water and sunlight. It's also more flexible, expanding and contracting with changes ...

And finally, you can stain the wood using a coloured, water-based stain to coat the surface. It soaks into the grain and then dries. You should then seal the wood with a varnish or lacquer.