“General Finishes” Gel Topcoat, wipe on urethane (Satin) / Basswood

[JPett]

Ahoy MSW

 

Please find my review of “General Finishes” Gel Topcoat, wipe on urethane (Satin) for use on Basswood.

 

I found this product to be very easy to work with, providing a superior finish that complements Basswood (see pic). No easy task in my book

 

Odor was minimal but present and dry time is a full eight hours. Application was simple, I painted it on with a ¾" soft brush that I first soaked with mineral spirits to thin the Gel. Fairly large brush strokes that I thought would require sanding disappeared once dry. It sanded well too, paper only clogging after considerable use.

 

Clean up requires mineral spirits or similar thinner.

 

The first application did darken the wood but it returns to about 80 percent of its original color once dry. Further applications do not seem to have a noticeable effect on the wood color. It does not fill gaps very well and raises the grain only slightly on the first coat. With only one coat the wood retains many of it natural characteristics and seems to be protected.  I applied two coats to be safe and prevent any paint bleed when I detail.

 

I would highly recommend this product and find its slightly higher cost justified.

 

I give it five out of five smilelys         :)   :)

Edited May 11, 2013 by JPett

[russ]

Sounds like a winner. Where do you buy it here in the states?

 

Russ

[JPett]

Ahoy Russ

 

I bought it at Rocklers

 

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?site=ROCKLER&page=11243

 

I see Woodcraft and some others sell it so it should not be hard to source. I did not see it on the Home Depot or Lowes sites though.

[4whelr]

Russ,

Here is one supplier.

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=11243&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=&utm_content=pla&utm_campaign=PLA&gclid=CP3wroDVjrcCFUPc4AodAxQAZA

4whelr

[j21896]

Hi J. Pett,

 

I also had a good experience with that product.  I chose to use it on a pear wood deck, as I wanted to keep darkening of the wood to a minimum.  Just as you found with bass wood, the product enriched the natural color and quality of the pear, without significant darkening.  (I had tested matte finishes and sealers, but they did not really bring out the beauty of the wood.)  Once dry, I used a scotch-brite pad to knock back the satin finish to a bit closer to matte.

 

I got mine at Rockler.

 

Robert

[russ]

Alas, there are no Rockler's around me that I know of. I will see what I can find though.

 

Russ

[JPett]

Ahoy Robert

 

I like the Scotch-Brite idea, I used a super fine sandpaper. The fact it works equally well on other woods is good to hear.

 

I found it far superior to some of the lesser priced products for Basswood and why I decided to post a review. 

 

I will be doing some experiments with tinting and will post those results. I am hoping that because it is a gel it will not suffer from some of the issues that I had with stains and uneven penetration on Basswood.