I bought a can of General Finishes "Candelite" Gel Stain. There was a sample, on oak, in the store. I'm using red oak.
I applied the stain to a test piece. The color - BEFORE wiping off the "excess" - looked something like the sample, as I remember it anyway. (the can has a small "artist's rendering of the color) After wiping? Well, that was quite different. "Washed out" is the best way to describe it.
I made another test, rubbing MORE with the application rag, waiting a little longer (maybe a minute and a half), and then wiping off GENTLY. This produced somewhat more color, but still nothing like what was advertised.
I have come to understand that the Gel "Stain" and Gel "Topcoat" are actually the same substance; different only in that one has colorant and the other does not. I decided to try another coat of Gel Stain. (I waited a couple of days in-between)
The result? More color, but still not like the sample. I tried a third coat. With the third coat, it is beginning to look like the sample color. Is this what their "sample" is supposed to represent, the color after several coats?
More importantly, if the "stain" and "topcoat" are both some sort of poly varnish, does this mean that coats of stain "count" as coats of varnish? Meaning, if 4 coats of gel varnish were recommended for good protection, could I do 2 of stain and 2 of topcoat for example? Or even
3 stain and 1 topcoat? Or is there a certain minimum number of clear coats needed, say two?