General Finishes Oil Base Gel Stain, 1 Quart, Java

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 efficient as I would have liked. I have oak cabinets stained walnut that were about 10 years old. I took steps similiar to many others, but broke it down into 3 sections of the kitchen since it was too large to get down at once. Prep time was probably the most tedious part that included- 1) Empty cabinets, 2) clean cabinets (I used krud kutter), 3) sand cabinets (I tried various grits and found 220 grit to be perfect lightly by hand; if I could go back I would have used a sander), 4) vacuum/wipe down cabinets, 5) tape down areas as needed. Imagine doing this 3 times. I used the sock method (with two non latex gloves). I just bought cheap socks from target/walmart I believe. I also had a small brush and sponge brush. I would the small brush was a lifesaver for the small crevices and corners. I did 4 layers of the Java stain in total. I waited 48 hours first the first coat to dry and 24 hours for the rest. I was expecting some streakiness, but was a little concerned after seeing it on the 3rd coat. 4th coat was the key winner. I think part of that is not optimally preparing some of my surface areas; poteintially due to different amount of protective coating found in different areas of my kitchen. Also the area above my range was probably not cleaned as well as it should have been. I did all my doors/drawers in the garage and numbered each one. I did not sand inbetween coats. After the final coat the stain was beautiful. Even the floor, granite installers, contrator was impressed with the work. The satin gloss is very subtle. I was damn impressed. Then came the clear coating. I waited an entire week before applying it. I then very lightly sanded with highest grit sanding sponge I could find (I believe it was 220) and wiped the dust down. I used wipe on with rag/sock and sponge brush. I found all methods to work great. Very easy to go on and gives you a lot of wiggle room. I initially purchased the GF Gel Top Coat in Satin. http://www.amazon.com/GF-Gel-Topcoat-Satin-Quart/dp/B001F7R320. I did 3 coats on my island and a standalone cabinet and it came out great. It also whitstanded through the demo believe it or not. The satin sheen was similiar to the Java satin sheen and if anything you could see the grains of the oak cabinets a little more. I did not notice it enriching the color significant either. It kept it pretty consistent. I was very happy about the results, but I decided to try another product due to the high VOC content of the top coat (wife is pregnant and insist to use part of the kitchen). Since this was still 1/4 way through I had to be reasonable and ended up purchasing a non-VOC top coat off in satin from another website. This is when it all went downhill. I didn't realize what type of skill is needed to apply a top coat, until I purchased this. It made me realize how good the GF topcoat was. My cabinets looked horrible. I should have tested it out first. It was 10x more diffiucult to apply and my cabinets not only looked streaky, but their satin looked more like semi-gloss. It also darkened the cabinets noticably more compared to the original coating. I thought I ruined my kitchen. I decided to do more research and found that the most important coat is the last coat. I learned better technique and tools and redid a large portion of my kitchen. Luckily my new technique did wonders and I was able to coat it streak free and the sheen was also a lot less subtle for some reason. Possibly due to putting it on thinner and I made sure I mixed it very well. I did 3 coats total. The end result came out great despite the scare. I ended up using 2 quarts and still have a little left over. It took me about 6 weeks solo to do my large kitchen, working full-time and other priorities that I could not push back. Like I mentioned if I could go back I would have just hired someone, but that is only because I can supplement my income in a lot less time I spent doing this project to just hire someone. I think that there are so much variables to consider before just doing it so do your research, be patient and trial and error. Everyone's surfaces are different; different wood, coatings, dirt, details, etc. So understand the optimal way to prep for your actual surface. I also think technique and having the right tools plays a role especially if you have a more challenging surface such as a door with all types of crevices, details, corners, etc. Too me that was the most difficult part was because of those challenging areas of the door. So my two biggest tips would be good preperation for your project and learning the proper technique/tools to do the job. Oh yeah and patience too.

The dreamiest color of browns! I used this gel for my very heavy wood console table. (Aka rail road ties) applying this to this kind of wood was super easy. I did use two coats to get the red tone out of the wood. It seals good, apply’s smooth. And it actually drys quickly! The gel is medium thickness but not like paint. Worth the price, good quality product! Have re-ordered more than twice!

Very forgiving & easy to use. As you can see, it's also very versatile! I used stain on both kitchen cabinets (2coats) &on top of stools (3 coats), with different results based on technique. For cabinets & banister (1 heavier coat), I used a foam brush & they did not get "wiped off" between coats, so coverage is darker, more opaque & more like that of paint. On stool tops & stair treads (3 coats), stain was wiped on using old white socks &, therefore, is more translucent & more grain is showing through. Mantel only got one coat using sock method & the pretty grain is showing through beautifully. Looks a lot like a walnut stain. I'm very happy with the results! Gorgeous upgrades to golden oak without the price tag of a replacement. WIN! A few tidbits: 1- it does have an odor. I have sensitivities to chemical vapors, so I wore a carbon filtered mask & kept windows open while I worked in short time frames & was fine. I then ran ceiling fan & sat outside or ran errands while it dried a bit & the odor dissapated. The one time I took the mask of early to clean up in the kitchen I got a huge headache & did not make that mistake again! 2-Do not go over previous stained spots until they are completely dry (I gave them 24 hrs between coats). You end up pulling the previous stain & you now have a splotch w/very little pigment. Not pretty! Wait, and just add the extra coverage you want on the next coat. Otherwise you just end up pushing the pigment around & it doesn't stick to anything already gone over before. 3-And the BEST tip for last. I put off using this product (& thus my projects) for a long time due to the fear brought about by people warning it stains skin, nails, & basically everything it touches & their horrible experiences of trying to get it off. Well, turns out it's SUPER EASY to get off your body if you use coconut oil! I just scoop a dab from my jar, rub it all over where I have stain (it smears all over & looks like you're just making a bigger mess, but don't worry!!). It then just comes right off & transfers to the paper towel I use to wipe it off. Another WIN! I then did not use my jar for any other purpose, but for this since some stain did transfer from my hand & onto oil in the jar. So I recommend pulling some out & placing in a second container to use specifically for this purpose & not having to sacrifice a huge container of it. Also, I have not had any luck finding a way to get it out of clothing, though, so I do recommend wearing your appointed "Painting clothes" when working with this. Hope this helps & have fun with your project!

I am doing away with all the honey oak in our house - and there is A LOT. I started with the vanity in the bathrooms and then moved on to the kitchen (which is in process now) and railings. This stuff is GREAT. Here is why I like it so much: 1. Once you get the process down it's easy-peasy to complete - just takes time (see below for my process) 2. It's a very rich color - it may look black and at first glance however it is a very dark rich brown 3. I have put the top coat on (GF High Performance water based in satin) for most of my work and it seems to be holding up well - good with humidity (vanities in the bathrooms) and constant use (railings) 4. Keeps my wood grain so it looks more natural than painting 5. What do you need: gel stain, top coat, sand paper, TSP substitute cleaner, lint free rags, foam brushes, drop cloth, painters tape You must have patience while going through the process - not so much for application but making sure you allow sufficient dry time between coats - with proper prep I was able to get to the full dark color in about 3 coats (I may have had to touch up some spots here or there. Here is my process: 1. lightly sand surface (break up the top coat) - if you look online you see folks that say you don't need to sand - while that is true, I found I needed an additional 2 coats if I didn't do this prep - thats more material and another 48 hours added on to my time, so I took the time and prepped properly. 2. Use a TSP substitute (also a deglosser) to help with what you just broke up. I followed directions for diluting the solution and sprayed it on (cover other surfaces!!) and let sit for at least 5 minutes then wipe off with a damp cloth. 3. after that has dried, grab some gloves and crappy clothes and a foam brush and start the application - first make sure you stir the gel stain well and put it on your application area thick - I mean, it looks like you can finger paint in it thick - you shouldn't see much of the actual wood at this point 4. Wait - once you apply the gel stain (make sure not to apply to an area too big - you can't have it dry before wiping off) you wait about 10 mins (humidity, temp etc will affect it) you can start wiping it off. I always brush the foam over my rag to put a little down - if you start with a 100% clean cloth you will take off more material than you want to. You want to wipe it down until it looks like there is no more sitting on top - don't press too hard, some of what set was directly on the wood - but you don't want "globs" of the stuff left on there - I'll try and get a pic of this as I work through my cabinets. 5. Now wait some more - 24 hours minimum to be exact between each coat - DO NOT SKIMP ON THIS or you will not be pleased. 6. After all coats are complete slap a clear coat on there (after waiting 72 hours after last application before clear coat) which thankfully you can get 3 coats on in 1 swoop as there is only a 2 hour dry time (for the GF clear coat) If you're not sure this is for you - pick a small project first, or even just a random board so you know how it goes - it's not for the weak of heart but I do love the outcome and would do it again and have never even considered using another brand of gel stain!

This stuff is amazing!! One thing I wish I would have known, though, is that the Brown Mahogany color has a definite red tone to it, which I was not expecting or wanting. I ended up doing one coat Brown Mahogany, two coats Antique Walnut and I love the way it turned out. I want to make it clear that the pictures I have attached are of that combination- 1 coat brown mahogany, 2 coats antique walnut. I never saw any good pictures of what brown mahogany looked like alone, and misunderstood what color it is-- it is definitely RED-toned. So I topped it with antique walnut which is more yellow-toned, and I love the combination. I didn't want my pieces to be black, like the Java gel stain seems to be. I wanted the gorgeous wood grain to still be visible, and I am pleased as punch at how it turned out. It took some serious tweaking, but well worth it. I gave it a go on a solid oak table my dad made and was passing on to me. I sanded it and two benches down with a 120 grit sandpaper and used the "foam brush- shop cloth wipe off" method. It was a disaster. It was splotchy and looked terrible. Turns out it wasn't my application method that was awful, it was the condition of my wood. After contacting General Finishes customer service, and also posting on a woodworking community board I found my problem was that my dad had previously finished the table/benches with Danish oil. I had not sanded down deep enough to get rid of that oil (same goes if the wood has been treated with Pledge or certain other things they list). It was recommended on the woodworking board to start sanding with 60 grit and work my way up all the way to 220 grit. I wiped the surface down with mineral spirits first, as suggested on the General Finishes video. The stain went on like BUTTER and looks absolutely gorgeous!! I used the sock method this time and it's SO much better than the foam brush method. No need to wipe off with cloth after, and it goes on so smoothly!! A little goes a long way. I will absolutely buy General Finishes gel stain for every staining project I do from now on!!! The picture I attached is of one of the finished benches. One coat Brown Mahogany, 2 coats Antique Walnut. You can see in one of the pictures the other bench to the left in progress. The bottom legs of that bench are the original sanded-down oak. Once everything has been stained, I will finish it later with the General Finishes Arm-R-Seal which has been amazing on other pieces I have refinished.

We have a home in an upper price range but our builder cut corners right at the end before we moved in. It became a matter or have it done half way or not have it done at all bc he was filing bankruptcy. Things like staining ended up being one coat (maybe no sealer?) and he ran. So, my cupboards and expensive custom wood sills have not held up well at all. We're looking to sell soon and I needed a high end professional looking finish to get the most at resale. At our price point "owner painted cabinets" would really devalue the home and the pandemic has us needing to sell for as much as we can. I spoke with someone that wanted over 10k to redo cabinets, banister and window sills. I saw all of the excellent reviews for this product and while I have a pretty extensive paint/stain/refinishing and home reno experience. I still doubted I could do this with professional looking results. I decided to start first on a kids bathroom because, well... I couldn't make it worse. To note: The cabinets are Merillat Maple and the window sills are solid oak. The stain color used is Java Photo 1 - Cabinet door as it was / untouched Photo 2 - Bottom half is after light sanding and denatured alcohol. Top half shows the first coat of stain going on. Photo 3 - Cabinet door left (before with nothing but light sanding and denatured alcohol) and right after first coat of gel stain Photo 4 - Cabinet with two coats of stain on left (and single coat of stain on right) Photo 4 - Window sill with one coat of stain on left - Window sill sanded and denatured alcohol on right All were then finished with General Finishes High Performance Water Based Topcoat. As easy as the gel was to work with, I found this top coat messy, drippy and if it pools even slightly it dries an unsightly white. I had to sand off and reapply several times. Use extreme caution applying the watery topcoat if you chose to use their product. It does give a strong finish but it's very just runny and difficult to work with. It also has a little more sheen then I would have liked. All in all, I'm EXTREMELY happy with the results. The bathroom looks really good. The window sills are absolutely amazing - like a professional did them right the first time. I haven't done the banister yet for one reason. I do not know why but there is sticky areas of stain or topcoat that has deteriorated in high touch areas (possibly the builder used the wrong product?). I went over that with the gel and it pretty much refused to dry so I think my husband will have to sand the banisters down to bare wood (not looking forward to that, but it needs to be done). I expect once we do that to have results similar to the window sills. One small quart isn't even 1/4 gone after 14 window sills and a large bathroom of cabinets. I honestly probably have enough remaining to do an entire kitchen plus a desk or something. A little goes a VERY long way. Some things to note, I was worried the java would cast a red based on the companies shown photo. It is not red and you have a lot of control over the darkness or lack of with layering. I chose to use a brush because it's what I'm most comfortable / skilled with. I would not use this for a high end kitchen redo. Only because there is enough room for error that it does show it was redone and isn't that factory perfection. If it was a home I planned on staying and maybe eventually someday replacing the cabinets I would totally go for it and would use it again in pretty much any other application you can think of.

This is an excellent product in that it covers almost any surface. Having said that, I had two major issues : 1) The majority of blogs and reviews I read used the java gel stain to cover golden oak. I, on the other hand, had whitewashed/pickled oak cabinets from the 1980's that had black metal trim on the doors. The stain eventually covered everything, but it took four coats. This means that each side needs four coats with 24 hours drying time between each coat - that entails a lot of days to finish a door and a lot of patience. Be forewarned - if you don't have patience this product is not for you. Trying to rush the process ruins the finish. I also applied four coats of arm r seal which also requires 24 hours between coats. Do the math - this is a time consuming project. 2) Read the blogs carefully. Many people gel stained a bathroom vanity or a banister or a cabinet, etc. If you are doing your kitchen, you need to be realistic about the amount of time it will take. In my case I had 24 doors and 9 drawers. Keep in mind the quality of your kitchen. If you have a contractor grade cabinets, the doors will be manageable. If you have custom 96" high cabinets that reach the ceiling (as I do), understand that staining tall doors without bubbles and drips is difficult and unwieldy unless you are an avid diy person. Your boxes need to be stained as well and the toe kick and any crown molding you might have. I'm not trying to be discouraging, but anyone who undertakes a kitchen needs to be aware of the time and effort involved. As of today, my island and base cabinets are done and look beautiful. However, even though all my upper cabinet boxes, sub zero end panel, wall oven cabinet and pantry boxes are done, the doors are not on yet because I am still finishing applying arm r seal. It seems endless, but the cabinets do look like new and make the kitchen updated. I have never attempted any project like this before, and I definitely have mistakes - drips, bubbles, etc. which are not obvious, but overall I think the product is excellent and has rejuvenated my kitchen. BTW I used 2" foam brushes throughout the process and brushed on the product without wiping it off.

Stained my honet oak bathroom vanity and medicine cabinet to Brown Mahogany. It was an easy process. Scuff sanded for 15 minutes, stained the direction of the grain, immediately wiped it off. Used an old cotton tshirt. Did two coats, one would have been sufficient though. Polyurethane on top. I was concerned at first because most of the reviews seemed to do more of a paint kind of method for the stain. I didn't want it to be thick like paint, I wanted the grain to still be visible. It worked well. It looks stunning.

Product is very good. Delivery took weeks :(