General Finishes also offers a Gel Stain Topcoat. I had never stained anything before using these products and I was surprised at how easy they were to apply. We will be releasing one per week for the month of November so stay tuned. Excellent clear satin finish. Reviewed in the United States on August 16, 2016. It’s a bit expensive, at about $13 a pint, but for the results and the time and effort saved, it’s well worth it. A 1/2 pint can of the gel stain was enough to do two coats. Saved thousands in Kitchen Cabinet Renovation, Reviewed in the United States on September 18, 2016. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. My husband grabbed a can of Miniwax stain at Home Depot to do some shelves and it looked horrible in comparison to the General Finishes gel stain. I decided to try out their gel poly as well. We used two socks to apply the stain and it looked great. Keep your dust collector fed. One of the causes of orange peel is the application of too much fluid and not enough atomization to break the product up into smaller droplets. The finished effect was beautiful. From shop RundownRustics. - Gracefully Aged and Distressed The General Finishes line of Gel Stain and Topcoat products is AMAZING. Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2020. It is amazing! Spray a second wet coat and dry for 2 hours. It's a little on the pricey side, but well worth it for a finish you'll love. for it to be dry to the touch and be handled without smudging, instead of the 24 hours per the label (in near perfect temp and humidity conditions per the label) before I was able to apply the second coat. Find more information about Oil Based Gel Stains here. We used it because we didn't want to do all the sanding and prep required by other products. I had never stained anything before using these products and I was surprised at how easy they were to apply. I did not even clean/vac up my shop before finishing. Apply liberally using smooth, even strokes going with the grain. Compared to a typical brush-on poly, this goes on in much thinner coats, so you need to plan on more coats to give your wood the same level of protection. Instead of tearing out the existing cabinets or paying a professional to refinish them (both expensive options), I decided it was worth a few cans of paint to see if I could do it myself. Latest Forum Topics, Stumpy Nubs Woodworking Journal- For woodworkers of all levels (part 6), Handplanes Of Your Dreams, v2.0 - Sharp As Ever. The next day, apply another varnish coat. This gel stain works beautifully on wood. To improve adherence of the stain, mix 2 parts Gel Stain with one part Gel Satin Topcoat. On a recent clock order, the customer wanted a satin finish. I bought the Arm R Seal too, will try soon. Level sand with 320-grit sandpaper. It also analyzes reviews to verify trustworthiness. The Arm-R-Seal can be used over any stain but it will alter the appearance of the gel stains more than it would their regular polyurethane stains. This product delivered in spades. 1 coat Java Gel Stain applied over 1 coat Yellow Dye Stain, sealed with High Performance Topcoat satin. I bought this to finish a Mission style coffee table I was hired to build. It is durable enough to be used on floors. Anyway, very impressed with this stuff, and will not hesitate to use it again. With a little Cani was able to put 3 coats on my kitchen table and two coats on the chair seats and I still have a quarter can remaining! I’ve seen General Finishes products on the better woodworking websites and magazines, so I thought I’d give it a try, as finishing is not my strong point. Day 2: Level sand with 320-grit sandpaper. When I lived in Illinois I used GF products almost exclusively but here in California it is mail/web order only but I did like the results then so I guess it’s time to get on the web and order some. My husband and I recently decided we were going to try to make some furniture and the first thing we made was a console table. Not bad for a daily used end table! Nooo thank you. Top subscription boxes – right to your door, General Finishes Oil Based Gel Topcoat, 1 Quart, Satin, See all details for General Finishes Oil Based Gel Topcoat, 1 Quart, Satin, © 1996-2020, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. I used the Gel stain to achieve the color I needed. I tried the gel because that is supposedly the in thing now and would try it; they also make stains in gel which I might try. I had already bought General Finishes High Performance Topcoat ($22), so I had to call customer service. After the third coat I wanted to stop, but since the coats are thin I gave it one more. This video demonstrates the application of a gel topcoat finish that is easy and gives excellent results. Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users. The top coat is easy to work with depending on the wood and how large the surface is. -- "I am a firm believer in the people. After the 2nd coat it started looking pretty nice. It didn't look too difficult, and it wasn't. DISCLAIMER: Any posts on LJ are posted by individuals acting in their own right and do not necessarily reflect the views of LJ. They told me I had to get General Finishes Enduro Clear Poly instead, which at the time was $99 for a gallon at my local store. Apply as many coats of the mix as needed to obtain … GF developed this finish as a "sister" to GEL STAIN. I went on the GF website and watched their how-to videos, and also went on YouTube and watched some videos by other folks who used this. Can’t make finishing too easy as far as I’m concerned. It's a wrap! I asked a question here about how the GF Gel Topcoat would work over other brands of stain but the answers weren't really definitive, but I took a chance that it would work okay over OIL-BASED stains by diff. I have always had semi-gloss as the preferred finish, but satin was his choice. I used some hi-tech lintless industrial wipes for applying and wiping down, so that probably helped (I get them where I work). I’ve seen General Finishes products on the better woodworking websites and magazines, so I thought I’d give it a try, as finishing is not my strong point. Good to hear. I’ll give the gel a try one o these days. I have always had semi-gloss as the preferred finish, but satin was his choice. Please make sure that you are posting in the form of a question. Just wipe it on like you were applying a polish. I primarily use satin finish, so I like it a lot. Spray a wet coat of General Finishes Enduro-Var Gloss and dry for 2 hours. Produces a glossy shine finish, not satin, Reviewed in the United States on September 18, 2019. I recently tried GF’s Candelite Gel Stain on a high-chair, and had mixed feelings about it. I have used them on both new wood and previously finished wood for over 20 years with consistently remarkable results. Use a foam brush or paint pad applicator. In summary, General Finishes Java Gel Stain and Gel Satin TopCoat are my go to products for professional grade results, easy application, variety of finishes and water borne options. Here are a few pictures of the cabinet before, after 1 coat, and after 3 coats stain and 2 coats varnish. Reviewed in the United States on January 6, 2020. We recommend that you use a 1.5mm tip instead. A pint of each would do a whole kitchen. They’ve both been out for awhile. | General Finishes Gel Satin Topcoat, 1/2 Pint Item #34379. It is more on the gloss end than satin. Then, sanded that off and tried using rags. Oil-based products include General Finishes Gel Topcoat or General Finishes Arm-R-Seal. General Finishes next round of tutorial videos are on their way! Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2016, Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2016. The only downsides I saw were a.) -- Roger from KY. Work/Play/Travel Safe. http://newmissionworkshop.com. Reviewed in the United States on March 30, 2017. CHARACTERISTICS Terms of Service The result is amazing. After 3 coats, the finish was a bit glossier than what I had wanted. Apply additional coats if darker color is desired. When layering water-based and oil-based products, increase the dry time: Water over oil: Let oil-based products dry 72+hrs; Oil over water: Let water-based products dry 24+hrs Gel Stain from General Finishes is home of the popular Java Gel Stain featured across the nation’s social media for upcycling furniture and cabinets. We gave this china cabinet a two-toned finish using General Finishes, Java Gel Stain and Persimmon. Gel Topcoat is available in satin. GEL TOP COAT. I thought the the General Finishes Gel TopCoat Satin would take some of the sheen away, but it only enhanced it. -- "It's fine in practise but it will never work in theory". It left brush marks in the cured finish. I am not happy with this product and will not use it again. I personally haven’t used the gel top coat but I hear some good things about it! Then go over it one last time in the direction of the wood grain and it will self level into a nice, smooth finish. that will see a lot of wear and use. Took about 48 hrs. In stock $ 11. In the end I really could not find any dust in the finish. In GF's finish line, you can use General Finishes Arm-R-Seal (this topcoat ambers) over dark colors and General Finishes High Performance over light colors. I’ve used the Arm-R-Seal Satin Poly, and really like everything about it. 5 out of 5 stars (648) ... General Finishes Gel Stain / Gel Topcoat RundownRustics. Which means the wood does not have to prepped very much at all. APPLYING GEL STAIN DIRECTLY TO LAMINATE: “Power clean” by scrubbing with a solution of water and a strong detergent such as Dawn or Spic & Span, using a Scotch-Brite pad. I spoke to a GF Rep at a home builders show last year and this is what he told me about the Arm-R-Seal and the Gel Top Coat: The Gel Top Coat is formulated to give the same appearance when cured as just the gel stains by themselves. I was very, very pleased. -- - The mightiest oak in the forest is just a little nut that held its ground. Great product and so easy to use! Unfortunately they do not make a gel topcoat in semi or gloss; for that, you need their Arm-R-Seal Urethane Topcoat product. Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations, Select the department you want to search in, Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2016. Water based top coats clean up with water. General Finishes Java Gel Stain. 99 Half Pint. Flat Out Flat Water Based Topcoat: Arm-R-Seal Oil Based Topcoat: Oil Based Gel Topcoat: Oil Based Wood Bowl Finish: Exterior 450 Water Based Topcoat: Oil Based Seal-a-Cell (Clear) Wood Turner's Finish: Enduro Water Based Sanding Sealer: Enduro Pre-Cat Lacquer: Enduro Clear Poly: Enduro Conversion 2K Varnish: Enduro-Var Water Based Urethane Topcoat Sand between coats using 320 or 400 grit sandpaper. Lightly sand with 320-grit sandpaper. So, this is why they have the Gel Top Coat in satin….the stains give a satin look. The gel stain may be a little more expensive than regular stain but is definitely worth it. 5 out of 5 stars (596) 596 reviews $ 18.95 FREE shipping Favorite Never use any water based topcoat with long oils such as Danish, Tung or Linseed. My shop is very dusty and small, so hard to keep dust out of my finish work usually. [email protected]. After viewing product detail pages, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in. My kitchen cabinets now look brand new and I've invested very little money into the project!!! Is thick, while Arm-R-Seal is my favorite easy to apply the stain dry for 24 hours ( Minwax Varathane... To put a top coat is easy and gives excellent results of pigment in the form a! Use this on some Maple that i stained using the Java mahogany wet., sanded general finishes gel topcoat review off and tried using this finish using General Finishes Gel satin. They can be annoying to wipe out of 5 stars ( 648 )... General Finishes gray stain. 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