General Finishes Gel Stain & Top Coats – How to apply

Applying General Finishes Gel Stain and Top Coats are a great way to update and transform the look of your furniture, cabinets or any wood surface. They offer more control than traditional products and are perfect for any level of experience. Before you start, make sure you have all the necessary materials and that your workspace is well-ventilated.

Materials Needed:

• Degreaser or Fusion TSP
• Lint free cloth or Brush (for stain)
• Lint free cloth, Roller, Brush or Sprayer for top coat
• Gloves
• 80-180 grit Sandpaper and/or Sander (for raw wood)
• Tack cloth
• General Finishes Gel Stain in your desired color
• General Finishes desired Top Coat
• Mineral Spirits or Fusion Odorless Solvent

Step 1: Prep the Surface

Clean the surface well with a degreaser like Fusion TSP before moving to Step 2.

Step 2: Sanding

Raw Wood – Make sure you’ve cleaned well prior to sanding. If not, you’ll be pushing dirt and oils into the grain of the wood which can create an uneven finish. Next, sand with an orbital sander or sandpaper, with the grain, to ensure a smooth and even finish. Start with 80-100 grit and move up gradually to 180 grit. Higher than 180 grit will close the grain of the wood and make it difficult for the wood to absorb the stain. To ensure that you’ve sanded completely and not left any sanding marks behind, clean the surface with Mineral Spirits or Fusion Odorless Solvent. Look carefully for any unevenness or sanding marks in the surface. If you’re happy with your sanding move to Step 3. If not, repeat Step 2

Existing Finish – Scuff sand the surface with 150-220 grit sandpaper just enough to scratch up the surface of your finish.

Step 3: Application

Stir the Stain well. Dip a lint-free cloth or brush in the General Finishes Gel Stain and begin to apply it to your surface. I find on Raw Wood that a lint free cloth works best so that I still see wood grain. If you’d like a more opaque finish use a brush. Be sure to apply the stain in the direction of the wood grain. Use long, even strokes to achieve an even coating. Wait 12-24 hours for Stain to dry. After the first coat has dried, you can add additional coats for a deeper and more opaque finish. Lightly sand or steel wool the surface between coats to achieve a smooth finish.

Step 4: Seal the Surface

Once the Gel Stain has dried, you’ll need to seal the surface to protect it. You can use one of the General Finishes products below depending on the level of protection you’d like.

Flat Out Flat (Flat)

• water based top coat
• no sheen
• allow 72 hours for Stain to dry before applying
• apply with a brush, applicator, roller or sprayer
• 2-3 coats is recommended
• low level of protection
• water cleanup
• dry and ready for re-coating in 1 hour
• sand between coats

High Performance Top Coat (Flat, Satin, Semi-Gloss or Gloss)

• water based top coat
• allow 72 hours for Stain to dry before applying
• apply with a brush, applicator, roller or sprayer
• 2-3 coats is recommended
• high level of protection
• water cleanup
• dry and ready for re-coating in 1 hour
• sand between coats

Arm-R-Seal (Satin, Semi-Gloss or Gloss)

• oil based top coat
• allow 12-24 hours after Staining to apply
• apply with lint free cloth, brush or roller
• 2-3 coats is recommended
• highest level of protection
• mineral spirits cleanup
• dry and ready for re-coating in 12-24 hours
• sand between coats

Gel Top Coat (Satin)

• oil based top coat
• allow 12-24 hours after Staining to apply
• apply with lint free cloth, brush or roller
• 2-3 coats is recommended
• high level of protection
• mineral spirits cleanup
• dry and ready for re-coating in 12-24 hours
• sand between coats