General Finishes

[George Octon]

Anybody familiar with the satin? I think I'm going to give it a try. Thanks.

[Adam Potack]

I just used arm r seal satin for the first time and was very impressed. Goes on easy and looks beautiful.

Adam

[John TenEyck]

Is the satin really satin? I recently used the semi-gloss and, with the recommended 3 coats, it looks more like gloss. Beautiful and easy to use, for sure, but not semi-gloss.

[Adam Potack]

That's hard to say. My idea of satin may not be the same as yours. I was looking for a finish that didn't look built up and had a slight sheen. Thats what I got. You might want to try it on a scrap first.

Adam

[Scott Holmes]

IF you did not mix the product very well you may have left most of the flattening agent on the bottom of the can thus you got a shiney surface.

I seen people use satin and get a high gloss because they didn't mix the finish before use.

I shake my varnish even though many say never shake it, because it creates too many bubbles. Hog wash. At the store if I'm going to use it right away I ask them to put it on the paint shaker... the looks I get sometimes... I once told the guy that refused to shake the varnish for me that it was OK for him to shake it, because I was going to be spraying it.

With proper brushing and thinning techniques and there will be no bubbles left on the surface.

[George Octon]

How do you gus like this stuff? I just tried it and it is as thin as water! How do you brush something like that? I used a 100% ox hair brush that I just happened to be using and I can't imagine using anything like a "normal" brush. Then I read the can and see that they recommend using a cloth! Hello!? It did look fairly good though, but it did show sandpaper scratches underneath (400 grit 3M Gold). I do realize that could be a bit aggressive for this. The Tri Mite or any other white paper would probably be much less scratch.

[Sam Layton]

Hi George,

I use GF's most of the time. As far as the stain goes, I use the oil base stain. Goes on easy and looks great. After it completely dries, you can use oil or water top coat. I tried their water base stain and did not like it at all. If you are staining a large area and wiping it on, it dries so fast it streak. Someone else that uses it all of the time said that he sprays the stain, floods the item, and then wipes it down fast. He said it turns out great. For me, I like the oil base stain.

I use Arm-R-Seal as well. It is made for wiping it on because it is so thin. I apply it with two foam brushes. The first foam brush I apply it to the project with the foam brush wet. Then I take the second foam brush, blot it on a paper towel to remove most of the finish, then brush the project again to remove the extra finish. For me this process leaves more finish that using a rag, and removes enough finish so it does not sag.

I use satin. I mix it well, and from time to time I mix it while I am using it. It dries satin...

Sam

[Paul Williams 53072]

I have used GF's for a while now and am overall very impressed with it. The satin in my estimation is does provide a nice smooth finish with a slight sheen. I apply both stain and sealer with a piece of cloth, typically a worn out T-shirt.

My question centers around the use of GF's gel stain. Typically I sand my QSWO to a 320 grit finish with a RA sander and then apply GF's oil base stain followed by several coats of the Arm-R-Seal. When using Gel which I am told contains a great deal of Poly, requires less top coat to seal and produces minimal blotchiness etc etc do I sand the QSWO to a lesser grit like say 220? I am concerned the Gel may lay closer to the surface of the wood and when I apply my topcoat it will disrupt the depth of the stain and maybe lighten it. I have 2 Qts of gel and want to use it as I recieved it free and have always wanted to use the gel product as I have heard such positive things about it. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Paul

[Howard Acheson]

>>>> I just tried it and it is as thin as water!

Arm R Seal is a thinned wiping poly varnish. It's intended to be wiped on. It can be brushed but it is not the preferred application process.