# using minwax gel stain.



## nate22 (Jul 12, 2010)

I am making a trundle bed for someone and they want it stained which is no problem. Only thing is the color they want it done in is a gel stain that minwax has. Which is the only stain I use. My question is has anyone used the gel stain that minwax sells and if so could you give me your thoughts on it. This will be my first time using the gel stain. So far I have used the water based stain. Which works good for what I do. Any comments about it would be great. And if you have used it let me know if you like it or didn't like it.


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## CharlieM1958 (Nov 7, 2006)

I tried some on a couple of small projects. Other than the fact that it comes out of the container in a gel rather than liquid, I didn't notice any major differences. I spread it on with a rag, which is the way I prefer to apply stain, and it acted pretty much like I expected.


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## FaTToaD (Oct 19, 2009)

One thing I've noticed with gel stain, and minwax is all I've used, is to be careful when removing the excess. I had trouble at first keeping the amount left on the surface even, but with a lighter touch and a little patience, it worked just fine.


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## horsefly (Oct 1, 2010)

I've had good luck with gel stains. My favorite brand however, is General Finishes. One thing to keep in mind is that gel stains do not penetrate the wood to the depth the thinner oil based, or water based stains do. This may not be an issue for you. Also, each additional coat of gel stain tends to make the wood darker so you should experiment on scrape wood to find your desired shade. 
I also agree with FaTToad's comments re: even stain on the surface.


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## nate22 (Jul 12, 2010)

Thanks for the replies it helps a lot.


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