# Gel stains and wipe on Gel Varnish



## Lawdog (Aug 29, 2010)

I have never used any of the "Old Masters" gel finishes. I'm getting ready to finish up some bedroom furniture I have been working on. 
Have any of you used the Old Masters Gel finishes. I was looking at the Gel Stain and wipe on Gel Varnish. 
How did it turn out, did you like the end product.


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## Lawdog (Aug 29, 2010)

OK so nobody had used Old Masters, how about any Gel Stain or rub on Gel Varnish. 
I hear it is supposed to get a hand rubbed finish. 
Just looking to see who has used it.


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## sawdustfactory (Jan 30, 2011)

I tried a gel varnish years ago and didn't like it...threw it out. I prefer a wipe on poly if that's the look you want.


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## Lawdog (Aug 29, 2010)

Norm Abrams on New Yankee Workshop uses a stain and varnish in 1. I haven't seen him give a brand that he uses just says its his favorite. 

Anyone use those types of finishes?


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## Woodshingle (Nov 10, 2010)

*Gel Stains and varnish*

Yes, they work great. I use them for projects which use "blotchy" woods like pine or poplar. The gel stain will sit more on top and prevents most blotching.

Wipe on varnish is easy to use too. Just wipe on, wipe off. But be advised that you'll need more coats to build the finish than with a brush on application.


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## mike1950 (Aug 29, 2010)

I use gel stain and finish from woodcrafters all the time-I think it is General brand. I like them-easy to use. For blotchy woods like cherry-I use clear to seal and then stain works great.


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## Lawdog (Aug 29, 2010)

Thanks for the replies. Im going to see if I can buy a small sample pack or something and try some scrap.


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## rrich (Jun 24, 2009)

*Converted*

With the demise of true penetrating oil based stains (At least in California) I've converted to water based gel stains. I am exceptionally pleased with the General Finish brand.

If the stain is allowed to cure for a few days, it can be covered with any type of product oil or water based. I will apply MAOF using a white Scotch Brite pad over the stain. This removes any raised grain and the slurry gets wiped off. Then either a polyurethane or paste wax depending upon how much I like the person getting the project. :no:


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## evilangel31 (Jun 9, 2011)

*Old Masters Gel Stain & Gel Poly*

I recently started my own business of building bunk beds and I round the edges and corners of my pieces. The only problem was that with a normal liquid stain would just run off the edge and because of the roundness the stain would travel to the other side. The end result creating over lap marks. So I needed to find me a new product to use. I have used quite a few different gel staining brands and honestly old masters has become one of my favorites. It has very rich color and very easy to use. 
The best part of Gel Stain and Gel Poly is that when you put it on the wood it stays where you put it. It never runs off of the piece you are staining and there is no overlap marks. It was quite challenging at first to figure out the proper ways to get the product to cover and turn out right. One thing I learned is not to get to far ahead of yourself. Once this stuff starts drying it becomes a challenge to wipe off the access but if you rub it hard enough the excess stain will come off. 
The idea is to make sure that when you apply the stain that you coat every inch of the board. You can rub it in as much as you want to. When removing the excess make sure that you wipe it all off. I learned that if the board feel smooth all over than you have done your job correct. If you still feel roughness than you still have more to wipe off. It will feel like you are wiping all the stain off but in reality your not. When applied and wiped off correctly it leaves you with a finish like no other you will ever find.

The Gel Poly also has to be applied correctly. It was also a challenge to figure out how this is done since there really are no directions on how to do so. Luckily I had a wood working magazine that explained how to apply it correctly.
When applying gel poly, take everything that you know about putting on a clear coat and throw it out the window. This stuff applies nothing like any other kind but it will also leave you an extremely smooth and beautiful finish. To apply Gel Poly correctly you use the same rules as if you were staining wood. Apply poly over all surfaces and remove excess. Rub the poly in as if you were waxing a car. Let the poly sit for about 10 to 15 mins. Than take a lint free rage and wipe all of the excess poly off. You want to make sure that the piece of wood is perfectly smooth just like you did with the stain. Don't get too far ahead of yourself. You will regret it.
Now you will feel like you are doing nothing but wiping it on and wiping it off but trust me when I say it leave a finish like no other. It will honestly look as if there is no finish left on the wood but trust me when it dries you will see it. Make sure that If you still feel roughness on the board than there is still more to wipe off. You can't wipe too much off. Just make sure it is smooth.
You can rub both stain and poly in in any pattern you choose but Always make sure that the final wipe down is done in the direction of the grain. Once your rag is really covered in product and it feels sticky or just plain too much, than switch rags. Its not very hard to assume when the rags are used up enough. Don't use the same one over and over for too long as it will not leave a good finish. Menards carries boxes of rags but make sure you get lint free ones. which is plenty to use for a common job.
A major advantage to using these products is that once you wipe the wood clean it is virtually dust free. No annoying dust speckles in your finish. I find it easier to stain one side of all my pieces and than go back and start back at the beginning again and do the other side. You can stain and poly both sides and the pieces will not stick to to anything including each other. If the pieces touch each other don't worry as they will not stick together or leave marks on each other. Of course make sure that you have them lifted off the table some as you don't want it to sit directly on a flat surface. It take about 2 to 3 hours for products to dry depending on temp and humidity. 
I can honestly say that I would never go back to using any other kinds of wood stains. Brand of gel stain does make a difference in color although they all apply the same. If it costs more than you get richer color out of it. The price is a bit high on these products but the finish is one of a kind. If you use the product properly than a quart should last you for quite a while. I have been able to stain whole entire bunk beds with drawers and storage stair cases with one quart of each. 
I highly recommend 2 coats of poly for the ultimate finish but you could put on 3 if you want to. If your stain isn't dark enough than you can lightly sand your wood with a 320 grit sand paper and than re-coat it. If you just apply it again without sanding than you will see no difference at all in the color. Do not use 400 grit or softer as this will make your color look funny. If you use heavier than 320 you will just pull too much stain off. 
I do hope that this information become useful for people and others can finally see the real use of gel stain. If you would like to know anymore about how to apply this product than you can email me @[email protected] Put Gel Stain in the Subject line so I know that you are not just some advertisement. I will answer any questions you might have. Also if you check out my website, www.schmidtwoodworking.com, than you will be able to see some of the beds that I have built and stained with Gel Stain and Gel Poly. Once you learn to use this product I can promise you that you won't want to go back to any other kind of stain.

Thanks for listening. Hope this helps.


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## evilangel31 (Jun 9, 2011)

Check out what I wrote at the bottom of the page. It will explain everything perfectly


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