Learn how to use gel stains to produce a uniform coloring of the wood. Easy to use, gel stains are a great choice for the novice woodworker.
How some woods accept stains is unpredictable. Soft woods, such as pine or basswood, do not readily absorb stains evenly. The result is often a blotchy appearance.
To prevent blotchiness, you can
apply a wood conditioner to the surface prior to staining. The wood conditioner will seal the surface of
the wood, so that one part of the wood does not absorb more stain than another
part.
Another solution, which I suggested
in a previous blog, is to use an aniline dye. This alternative to stain will
produce a more uniform coloring of the wood.
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| This mahogany gel stain has the consistency of pudding. |
A third option is to use a gel
stain. Unlike typical thin-bodied liquid penetrating stains that soak into the
wood, a gel stain is much thicker, with the consistency of mayonnaise or
pudding, and lies on top of the wood’s surface. Gel stains are easy to use,
which make them a great choice for the novice woodworker.
These thicker stains are comprised of pigments, which are opaque colorants. With a heavy application, you can disguise many surface imperfections as well as color the wood uniformly. The trade-off is that heavy applications of gel stains can also cover up much of a wood’s grain and character. The other downside is that working with these heavy-bodied stains is messy – so cover your workbench with RTape application tape to prevent staining of the surface and wear gloves.
Surface Preparation. After
you have finished your woodworking project, spray the wood with water and let
it dry to raise the grain. Then use
150-grit sandpaper to sand the piece to the desired finish. Anything finer than
150-grit sandpaper may not give the wood enough tooth to hold the stain. If you
want to preserve the hand carved appearance of your project, only do light sanding.
You can also use gel stains to
refinish an older surface, such as a table top. For this type of application,
after cleaning the surface, scuff it up with a grey Scotchbrite® pad and you
are good to go.
After you finish sanding, vacuum off
as much dust, as possible. Then lightly wipe any remaining dust from the wood
with a tack rag or a piece of clean cotton cloth, moistened with denatured
alcohol.
Safety. Read the
safety precautions provided by the manufacturer. Gel stains are flammable, so
avoid open flames and smoking when using these products. If you will be working
on a big project, make sure that your work area has proper ventilation.
Application. After
preparing the surface, apply a heavy coating of the gel stain using an
inexpensive, bristle brush. Brush in the direction on the grain. Do not go
cross direction. Using a brush will allow you to better control the amount of
stain that is applied. Don’t be afraid of applying too much, because in the
next step you will remove any excess.
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| While you can apply gel stain with a rag, using a brush is recommended. |
After waiting for about 5 minutes, use
clean, lint-free cloths to wipe the excess stain from the surface of your
project. Wipe in the direction of the
grain. As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, gel stains are messy,
so wear nitrile gloves, when you are mopping up the mess.
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| Wipe the excess stain off with a lint-free rag in the direction of the grain. |
Gel stains will tack up very
quickly. If you are working on a large piece, apply the stain to a smaller
area. Wait a couple of minutes; then
remove the stain and move on to an adjacent area. If the finish is a little
splotchy, you can feather the application of the stain with a clean, dry
brush. Using a dry brush also helps in
removing the excess of stain in crevices of a carving.
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| With a dry brush, you can remove some of the excess build up of stain in the crevices as well as feather the application of the stain. |
You
can use gel stains in combination with other stains or dyes. In the case of the
cross that I carve, I had originally dyed the wood a cherry red with an aniline
dye. The red was too much for my liking. So I decided to cover it with a brown
mahogany to change the color. The two colors worked great together. The red
provided a warm undertone for the darker gel stain and added beautifully to the
complexity of color.
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| With several applications of gel stain you can build up the color to the desired hue. |
To control the depth of color, you can
apply several light coats of the stain until you get the desired appearance.
After applying a coat of gel stain, you typically will need to wait at least 12
hours before applying the next coat. With each coat the color will become
darker. Of course, how long it takes for the stain to dry depends on the
humidity and temperature in your shop. Do not sand between coats of stain.
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| After sealing the carving, I applied a gel stain to accentuate the detail. The contrast between highlight and shadow creates the illusion of depth. In fact, the carved dragon is no more than 1.25 inches deep. |
After applying the final coat of gel
stain and waiting for it to dry thoroughly, apply a varnish or dewaxed shellac to
protect the surface. If you are using a polyurethane varnish, many woodworkers
advise against using shellac as a sealer coat prior to the application of the
polyurethane. That may or may not be true. Mixing different chemistries is
often problematic. If you are unsure about the compatibility of one component
with another, Test, Don’t Guess,
prior to production.
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About Jim Hingst: After fourteen years as Business Development Manager at RTape, Jim Hingst retired. He was involved in many facets of the company’s business, including marketing, sales, product development and technical service.
Hingst began his career 42 years ago in the graphic arts field creating and producing advertising and promotional materials for a large test equipment manufacturer. Working for offset printers, large format screen printers, vinyl film manufacturers, and application tape companies, his experience included estimating, production planning, purchasing and production art, as well as sales and marketing. In his capacity as a salesman, Hingst was recognized with numerous sales achievement awards.
Drawing on his experience in production and as graphics installation subcontractor, Hingst provided the industry with practical advice, publishing more than 150 articles for publications, such as Signs Canada, SignCraft, Signs of the Times, Screen Printing, Sign and Digital Graphics and Sign Builder Illustrated. He also posted more than 325 stories on his blog (hingstssignpost.blogspot.com). In 2007 Hingst’s book, Vinyl Sign Techniques, was published.
© 2015 Jim Hingst
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