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GF advises extra care and prep when applying any finish over laminate surfaces because they are specifically designed not to mar and therefore they are not very "sand-able", making adherence difficult.

In addition to this non-permeable surface factor, General Finishes Gel Stain is an oil-based product, and it is more difficult to obtain proper drying characteristics over a dense manufactured surface such as laminate. Gel stains, as all wood stains, were formulated to go over raw wood which has an "open" surface and can absorb some of the stain.

You can apply Gel Stain to MDF, stained surfaces

Haze (the technical term is blush) is caused by too many coats applied too quickly. A recoat time of 12 hours is not enough dry time when applying over an EXISTING finish. To remove the blush or haze, you can either wipe the area with a strong solvent, like xylene or lacquer thinner, or you can try sanding out the haze and then reapply the topcoat.

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"

APPLYING GENERAL FINISHES MILK PAINT TO LAMINATE

IMPORTANT: GF advises extra care and prep when applying any finish over laminate surfaces because they are specifically designed not to mar and therefore they are not very "sand-able", making adherence difficult.

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.

It depends on the type of use you plan for your butcher-block top and the look you want.

If it is a statement piece and not intended for high use, almost any finish would work. General Finishes Arm-R-Seal Topcoat is a good choice. If you intend to prep or chop food General Finishes Butcher Block Oil should be applied.

Yes. All stains need a top coat. Think of stain as the color and top coat as the sealer and protectant. Discover the best topcoat for your gel stain.

General Finishes offers a complete line of oil based, water based and wax products. Application techniques differ between oil based products and water based products.

Yes.

MDF

  1. Apply Kilz or Bin 123 Primer first. 
  2. MDF is not as absorbent as natural wood, so wait 2 days in between coats and before applying top coat.
  3. MDF also tends to cast a brown color. If you are using a white paint, apply a coat of SeaGull Grey first to counter the brown, and then apply a couple of coats of white over it, allowing all coats to dry 2 days.

Learn more about how to prep MDF before applying GF Milk Paint.

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