Minwax Gel Stain for Interior Wood Surfaces, Quart, Mahogany

One of the best, little known products out there. This is not just for wood. It is in wood colors for matching and gives that wood luck. It can be used for any composite or fake wood. My application twice now (the 1st time 5 years ago) is for a front door that gets a lot of California sun. I love my door because it has a leaded glass insert, but it is fiberglass made to look like wood. I needed something that would give the wood color, texture, and multiple colors and still cover the fading, key scratches and general wear. This is it. Gives a brand-new door look with just one coat. And it is gel so it DOES NOT DRIP! It is easy to cut around the door lock and glass, and in and out of contours of which my door has a lot. And it dries really fast so by the time you finish (a quick job with gel) you can go back an touch up the areas that need just a bit more. Easy and fast and a bunch of different colors that are true to packaging. I changed from Red Elm to Mahogany this year.

You can paint it on anything and it covers everything. I even painted over the wood filler and the totally uneven worn finish on the table. It looks great with minimal effort. It is super easy to be neat because it is so thick and a little goes a long way. You can still see the imperfections in the wood unless you sand them away but the improvement is amazing. I did one good coat with Mahogany stain with a touch up coat, and three coats of Minwax 63333 Clear Polycrylic Water-Based Protective Finish Satin. It looks great compared to the original but you can still see any wood imperfections if the light hits it right. I found the fumes to linger and be a bit strong (although maybe I made it on too thick) so I would recommend good ventilation for about a week until the fumes go away.

I have used gel stain over painted furniture, unfinished wood and on previously stained wood. The coverage is amazing. This is something that goes on like paint. You can use a brush or staining pad. I have used both. You can put it on and wipe off excess or add on to make it darker. I love the color variation on this one. It holds up without even using a top coat. I am amazed at the things you can use with the gel stain. Very durable over time and use, quality is amazing and smooth finish. If you never used this before you will notice it is thick. You don’t have to stir much. Sometimes I don’t stir because it’s thick and the color is already there. It’s user friendly. I would choose gel stain over any regular stain. Another great product from Minwax. I do a lot of work on furniture finishing with stain and paint for my paid hobby. I love it and like to try different things.

We were trying to match maple legs with mahogany-stained furniture. When we used as directed (wipe on, let absorb, wipe off) the stain didn't penetrate very far and the overall color was too light. We tried a pre-finish (made the stain blotchier) and going to a coarser sandpaper to open up the surface more, but the only way to achieve the desired color was to use this more like a glaze than a stain. Because the stain has a high pigment content, it dries FAST (short open time). If you work it too long it'll get tacky and you'll drag off as much as you put on (in random spots) so it will come out streaky/uneven. Using it as a glaze, you have to get this on evenly and FAST. But with practice on scrap wood, we got the technique down and achieved the desired dark color. Maple is notoriously tricky, I've been told, so this was not the fault of the product. I can't imagine how to modify the product to make it work better except maybe a longer open time, or maybe in spray form it would go on more evenly.

This is a fantastic product. I used it to stain my bathroom cabinets which were 30 years old and already stained a light color. I didn't even have to take the cabinets off to stain them with this product. You have to work quicky and in smaller sections because the product dries quickly and then becomes sticky. If you try to go over it when it becomes sticky, the stain will lift off. So, stain it and then let it dry before adding another coat. I used two coats and was able to achieve the look I wanted. This product worked to cover part of my bathroom vanity which wasnt wood but contact paper. Now my cabenits look like they are new and made of high quality wood. I was so pleased with how the product covered the fake wood that I decided to use it on some metal work. Again, great success. This is a wonder product.

This is the first time I have used gel stain, it is delightful to use stain that does not run and drip! When you open the can, you must thoroughly stir it. Once you get it to the consistency of a thick pudding, it is ready to use. You can use a rag, a sponge, or a brush. The trick is NOT to put very much stain on your brush or rag. A dab goes a LONG way! Follow the instructions precisely, and do not let the gel soak into the wood more than three minutes before wiping off the residue. If you do not follow the instructions, you may be disappointed. The color of this mahogany gel is perfect. this gel stain gives you perfect control over what you were doing. I am sure that the chair I’m refinishing will be gorgeous when I finish with a coat or two of polyurethane. Recommend this gel stain!

USE A SMALL RAG AND WIPE GEL STAIN ON...SHINES LIKE A NEW FINISH ....COVERS SCRATCHES AND LOOKS FANTASTIC ON FURNITURE...I PUT IT ON THE OUTSIDE OF MY HOUSE OVER THE DOORS THAT HAVE SMOOTH FAKE WOOD ..IT LOOKS LIKE REAL WOOD ...I ALSO PUT IT OVER FLAT PAINT ON MY GARAGE DOOR .. HAD TO REDO IT EVERY 2 YEARS ..WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD WANTED TO KNOW HOW I GOT MY GARAGE DOOR TO LOOK LIKE REAL WOOD..ONLY TAKES A FEW MINUTES .AND 1 QUART...I REALLY CANT LIVE WITHOUT THE GEL STAIN...I USE THE RUNNY TYPE ON MY RAIL FENCE SO THEY DONT TURN BLACK AND ITS BEEN 13 YEARS...THE RAILS ARE STILL PECAN AND I DO THEM WITH A BRUSH EVERY 2 YEARS....EVERYONE ELSE IN TOWN HAVE BLACK RAILS ...THEY TURN BLACK AFTER AGING BUT SOME PEOPLE WANT BLACK...MINWAX HAS NEVER LEFT MY SIDE IN 55 YEARS....AND IM A WOMEN ...MEN ,DOGS AND KIDS COME AND GO BUT MINWAX IS ALWAYS THERE....

I fell in love with gel stains going back to the days of Homer Formby. Then they seemed to disappear from the market for a while. In any event these are great products by Minwax. As a quick tutorial - there are three basic types of wood stains that I've used: Gel Stains - Penetrating Stains and One Step Stains. By far and away I prefer the gel stains - since they won't run like penetrating stains and they require a two step process - staining then applying a clear overcoat - (I prefer either Boiled Linseed Oil or Tung Oil) - which allows better control over the richness of stain. However - you need to understand that like any product there are certain guidelines that will help ensure a better result. Do not apply outside on a bright sunny day - you might enjoy the sunshine - but - the product will dry too quickly and leave brush marks. Additionally - my preferred method of apply the stain is with # 0000 Steel Wool - it gives me a better feel and better control over the application - with the caveat of being careful about using steel wool with oak since the steel might have a tendency to discolor the oak (bluish blotches). So - if you've had problems in the past - wait for an overcast day and try applying with # 0000 Steel Wool. Don't slop it on - use just enough to cover the surface - and - wipe off the excess with the steel wool. If you need a second coat fine - the important thing to remember is that this is a multiple step process - don't try to rush the job and do everything in one step. Enjoy.