Gel stain

Overview

Gel stain is an oil-based, pigmented stain thickened so it stays where you put it. Instead of soaking in, it sits on the surface and colours evenly, so it side-steps much of the blotching that thin stains cause. Fine Woodworking calls it wipe-on, wipe-off and forgiving, with colour that builds as you add coats.

Pros

• Even colour on blotch-prone woods. Wood Magazine's tests rate it good on pine, maple, cherry, birch and boards of mixed colour.
• Good on vertical surfaces because it does not run, and Wood Magazine notes it is used for graining on steel and fibreglass doors.
• Can be used as a glaze between coats of finish (Fine Woodworking; see Glaze and antiquing glaze).
• Minwax lists wood, plywood, veneer, fibreglass, metal and MDF as surfaces.

Cons

• It will not hide sanding marks (Fine Woodworking).
• It collects in crevices (Wood Magazine).
• Wood Magazine prefers thin stains on oak, ash, mahogany and walnut, where pore detail matters.
• Slow to dry in dark colours. General Finishes says Black and Carbon Gray are slow; if still tacky after 5 days they may never dry.
• Needs a topcoat.

Suitability

Good on Black cherry, Hard maple, Eastern white pine and Yellow birch, and on plywood and MDF. Less attractive on White oak, where a gel fills the open pores and flattens the grain. A Popular Woodworking cherry recipe seals the pores with a gel topcoat, then wipes on General Finishes Candlelite gel stain.

Coats and application

1. Sand: General Finishes says 120 or 150; no conditioner needed.
2. Wipe on and wipe off. General Finishes allows thinning with mineral spirits 5 to 15%.
3. Dry 12 to 24 hours (General Finishes). Minwax says clear coat after 24 hours; test dryness by rubbing a rag with mineral spirits.
4. Topcoat. General Finishes suggests 3 coats at 72 hours each; a water-based topcoat over gel stain needs 72+ hours.

Compatibility

Over Water-soluble dye stain or Alcohol and oil-soluble dye stain for layered colour; under oil or water-based topcoats after the full dry time. Seal first with Shellac or Dewaxed shellac if using it as a glaze.

Care and repair

Touch-up is straightforward if the top coat is intact: reapply gel to the damaged spot and reseal. Gel not fully cured will lift under solvents, so test dryness before topcoating.

Safety and environment

Oil-based: flammable, and rags can spontaneously combust, so dry them flat or in water. Follow the label for ventilation.

Related

• Oil-based pigment stain: thin penetrating alternative.
• Glaze and antiquing glaze: gel as a glaze.
• Pre-stain conditioner and washcoat: usually unnecessary with gel.