America's Leading Manufacturer of Innovative Water-Based Wood Finishes
Click on the first photo and follow along with this photo tutorial as we finish a walnut table with 1 coat of Java Gel Stain over Nutmeg Gel Stain. Completed with 3 coats of Gel Satin Topcoat. Table design by John Harryman.
For today's Transformation Tuesday, we wanted to share this project by Beth of Farm Fresh Vintage Finds.
Gel Stain can be mixed with up to 50% Liquid Oil Stain but be aware that this will thin the viscosity.
We recommend starting with 10% Liquid Oil Stain and testing to your satisfaction. Add more Liquid Stain as needed up to 50%. The mix will be thin and more translucent with less color saturation and intensity, but will not lose any of its properties for adhesion and curing.
It's always possible to darken a stained surface, but you cannot lighten a stained surface after the finish has dried.
When the surface is still wet, you can try to lighten the color by scrubbing with mineral spirits. If the finish has hardened, you will need to sand down your current stain and start over or use one of our paints.
You can mix GF Gel Stain colors to create a custom color.
You can also thin Gel Stain with 10-15% mineral spirits.
Always test our color on a hidden area of your project before beginning.
We love the look of this coffee table done by Joe Stromski. He took General Finishes Java Gel Stain and used a sprayer to apply the finish. He also used Enduro Pre-Cat to seal in that great color.
We love this step-by-step video by OrganizedClutterbug about how she used General Finishes Gel Stain to refinish her kitchen cabinets! Please note, this video was not created by General Finishes, nor is it our professional recommendation for application method, but it is creative!
Heidi Martin used General Finishes Java Gel Stain
While Gel Stain can be applied over an existing finish, it was originally engineered for raw wood surfaces. We prefer applying the Gel Stain over a slip coat of mineral spirits instead of topcoat as shown in this video, "How to Apply Gel Stain to Raw Wood"
Enduro Water-Based Tintable 2K White Poly
Enduro Water-Based Pro Series White Polyurethane
Enduro Water-Based Conversion Varnish
Enduro Water-Based Tintable 2K Clear Poly
Hard Wax Oil & Hardener
Gel Stains
Water-Based Wood Stain
Pro Image Flooring Topcoat
Jen Poly Brushes
Stir Stix
Ultraflex Softback Sanding Sponge
SDS: FRENCH Gel Stain JAVA Oil-Base 2023-10
