Easy Peasy! – General Finishes Gel Stain How-To Video

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I’m working on the mid-century modern dresser that I picked up a few months ago.  It’s going into my Matthew’s room as he needs a long dresser along his wall for his Xbox console, etc.  He already has a great MCM chest of drawers that was originally my grandmother’s so when I saw this piece, I snatched it up!  It is the perfect match save for the color of the stain.

Easy fix!  Here is a quick tutorial on how to apply General Finishes Gel Stain over an existing finish.  That’s right – I didn’t have to sand these drawers or do anything at all (except clean) prior to applying the stain.

I’m hoping to share the finished dresser tomorrow.  So happy to get another piece out of my stuffed to the rim garage!

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  4. What a great product ! and a fine job thus far. I need another product recommendation…I have a table top with a very deep and long scratch in it. I need to fill in the scratch with wood filler, then re-stain. Now that I have seen this video, I will try the GF gel stain. What wood filler would you recommend that will take the stain ?

    • Hi Karen, I use Elmer’s Pro-Bond wood filler that you find at Home Depot or Minwax stainable wood filler. Either will do the trick. Make sure to get it in the closest color possible to your new stain. It should work fine. Best of luck!

      • Thanks Suzanne…I will try one of those. Also, I just read your other post about Originality. In my area of the Ozarks, there recently have been many “furniture painters” popping up with pieces on craigslist. Many are half the price of what I would have charged. I share in your frustration. Since you are one of the “originals” and have so successfully and artfully fine tuned your craft, you should stand firm and change nothing in the way you do things. You have set the standard in many ways and I would just keep doing everything the same focusing like you do so well on quality, beauty, purpose, and price it accordingly like you have always done. Don’t take the time to look behind you, left, or right..just proceed straight ahead with your business. Wishing you the best..

  8. Suzanne, you are great on video. I’ve tried some GF products before but never the Java Gel stain. That’s great that you can just apply it over existing stain.

    • Hi Mary – yes, it is great. Only if the existing finish doesn’t have a slick shellac on it. Otherwise, sanding back is the way to go (or, obviously if it has deep scratches). But in cases like the dresser I was working on, it was fantastic to just apply directly on top of the drawers. A ton easier! Cheers!

  12. Is there a particular product you use to clean the furniture before apply the GF stain. How amazing not to have to sand, etc. Thanks for sharing great info.

    • Hi Debbie – if your piece is really dirty or has any filmy coating, use TSP to clean it. Otherwise, just soap and water or even just water. I must add that if your piece has any deep scratches or flaws, you should go ahead and sand it back first. If the finish is good, then you can go ahead and just apply the gel stain on top.