General Finishes Oil-Based Gel Stain for Wood Projects

J. Miller: I love this product. It is a thick gel so it goes on so easily. I also love that you can make the color transparent to a darker brown just by applying more and by how much you wipe off. I got the smaller size and I am glad I did. I used it for many projects, from stair railings to porch studs to flooring and they all came out beautifully. The only downside was I had it about 8 months and when I tried to use it for the next project it was solidified (this was a prior can so I bought this can to replace the older one). Regardless, it is so worth the money and it produces a beautiful stain. Would definitely recommend it to anyone looking to stain.

United States on Sep 24, 2023

Amazon CustomerAmazon Customer: Love this gel stain. I used sponge brushes as they kept paint from dripping back on me. Just painted it over old soffits that looked pretty bad. Didn’t rub it out with a rag. Dried beautifully. Turned out darker than I expected but loved the way it turned out!!!

United States on Sep 20, 2023

kristen smithkristen smith: I have used General Finishes in the past and love how well it goes on. No sanding furniture, or cabinets before applying. However I purchased the “Ash Gray” hoping it would be the color that’s on the can. It’s definitely not even close. It’s solid Gray. So if you are looking for a Gray stain this is perfect. But know it’s not going to look like the picture on the can. I still chose to rate it 5 stars. Like I said it’s a great project, very easy to use.

United States on Aug 27, 2023

amey boucher: Its looks great and even though it's a small can I got alot of use out of it didn't take much to stain with and it cleans right off the brush no problem even for a black stain

Canada on Sep 28, 2022

Bill/JeannetteBill/Jeannette: Buy this gel stain! We have light, builders grade banisters in our house that I have hated since the day we moved in and match nothing else in the house. I really wanted to refinish them but I was scared to wreck them. Well, after reading 4 million reviews, videos from everyone I could find, endless pictures comparing colors, I went for it and I couldn’t be happier. I ended up only needing 1 coat of the Antique Walnut and a few touch up areas. Here is exactly what I did. Prep work is key. Don’t skimp here.
1. I cleaned the banisters with Krud kutter ( not the deglosser) and a green scotch bright pad and wiped clean. 2. Clean with a green scotch bright pad and and a good amount of Dawn soap and water. 3. Give a medium scrub down with mixture of 50 denatured alcohol and 50 water with yet another scotch bright pad. Let dry 2 hours. 4. Give a light sanding with a 220 grit sanding pad ( or 400 sheets I believe it what the company said). I used the 220 klingspor flexible sanding pad they recommended in one of the company videos. They are great! One pack was more then enough for the entire banister. 5. Vacuum up the dust really well. 6. Wipe with a damp cloth to remove more dust....

United States on Sep 05, 2022

Jane RuppertJane Ruppert: I had never used ‘General’ Gel Stain before, so after reading the Instructions, decided to give it a try. Key points to remember: stir well before using and intermittently if the project takes a while. Also allow enough time for each Coat to dry, I waited at least 24 hours. I used a small paint brush for the edging and details, and foam applicators for larger areas.
The Results are Amazing!! I Love the Georgian Cherry - it is dark, but with a beautiful Cherry Tint that has a Satin Finish! I did 2 Chairs that have the table in between, so of course I just had to do the table as well. I am Thrilled with the Results!

Canada on Mar 23, 2022

Brandy UnruhBrandy Unruh: This stuff is magic in a can! I watched so many Youtube vid's & read so many articles - I decided to give it a whirl. It's scary at first - looks a bit nasty when applying, definitely panicked a little - but something magical happens during the drying process. Self levels nicely, still shows the grain of the wood - I'm painting it on fairly thick - 2 coats - 48-72 hours dry time in between at 70 degree house temperature. Try to eliminate any back brushing - once you apply - move on - you will cover any missed spots during 2nd coat. (windows open a little with vents on during application process). I'm just waiting for top coat to come in (Arm R seal satin is a little too shiny for me during testing) - I'm waiting for high performance top coat in Flat. Pictures are mid-project.

Canada on Feb 08, 2022

JoyceJoyce: Bought to transform my bathroom vanity and it turned out good for the first bathroom.
Will I try to do this again? Answer is No!
Lost count of how many coats I applied cos each time I try to apply, it scrapes some of the previous application, and yes I waited 24 hrs between coats but had to keep touching up some scratches. The finished work looks good, but no worth the stress for me to be honest.
I’ll do the second vanity and that’s it. I had plans to do kitchen at some point but No I will not be. If you are not the most patient person, use of this product might not be for you.
That said, seems a great product.

Caution, the Java is really dark and might be too heavy for say a kitchen.

Canada on May 19, 2019

Don Pedro: This is a great stain, giving this 5 starts but would give more if there was such an option. But let me explain myself.....
The huge Pro is that you don't have to sand your surface so it can be easily applied to any wood or even to a cheap kinda paper-ish surface used on a cheap furniture although the result on the former one will not be as great as on a wood surface. I've used it to paint (stain) my staircase and the result is just amazing. You sure know those yellow oak old fashioned staircases, right? With this stain I was able to completely transform the look of my staircase in about a week and for the fracture of the cost of hiring a contractor. It looked so great that I've ordered more stain and painted cabinets in two washrooms and the result was just fantastic. There are not miracles though, you just have to be very patient when you apply this stain (ask almighty Google for videos and written reviews) and chose the right way to do your job. It obviously looks great on oak which has very pronounced wood grains, didn't look so great on a kitchen table made of beechwood though. Make sure to apply a gel top coat as well and you'll be absolutely blown away by the result you...

Canada on Sep 06, 2016

Linderpal D.: I've been entertaining the idea of gel staining my cabinets for a long time, however I never thought it would come to fruition until we decided to change out our kitchen countertops, floors, backsplash. I was thinking on replacing the doors/drawers and just painting it white, however the budget was already creeping up with other expenses and I feel my existing doors would look better as a dark espresso moreso than white. I've read the reviews, read questions/concerns, viewed many tutorials, etc and decided to pull the trigger. I would say our kitchen is on the larger side that includes 25 doors, 15 drawers, u-shaped with a large island. Overall I am happy with the product, outcome and it lived up to the hype. I knew it would require a lot of time and work, but if I could go back I would probably just hire someone. The amount of time it took in total could have easily been paid off by a professional and more if I used what I feel my time is worth based on what I can do to supplement my source of income through other means. On top of that I did sections of it before our kitchen demo/install and after. Since I am away from home for work10-12 hrs per day M-F,I could not be as...

United States on Jun 04, 2015