In the second labor of Hercules, he was called on to slay the Hydra, a creature with many heads. Each time he sliced off a head, two quickly grew in its place.
I was somehow reminded of that as I opened the latest can of worms - uh
-- stain.
I bought a can of General Finishes "Candelite" gel stain today. The fellow in the store went as far as to test it out on a piece of red oak (ply) for me. That's what I call customer service, so if you're ever in the Norwalk Ct. area, make sure to stop by the Woodworker's Club (a Woodcraft affiliate).
I took it home and applied it to some of the red oak leftovers from my current project, which - with the steady accumulation of test pieces - I am quickly running out of. The color going on was very much like I had hoped it would be, but became diluted when I wiped off the "excess" with a clean rag. Following Leon's advice, I had done so right after the application.
Perhaps, as the test piece was so small, I had wiped it too soon. I tried again, leaving a minute or two before wiping, and wiping a little less vigorously. That was better, I think, although I don't know if it might cause problems down the road.
Standing there with the can open and a head full of curiosity, I decided to apply some of the gel stain over a sample I had made with an oil-based stain (a week ago). That color, even after wiping off, looked very nice indeed.
Assuming it still looks nice when dry and with a couple of coats of varnish, and assuming I have it in me to add yet another step to the process, is that something that can be done? Gel stain over oil stain? Or is there disaster lurking down the road? (Bad adhesion, etc.)