Q: I recently purchased a quart of Bartley Gel Varnish over the internet. The product I received is Bartley Gel Stain – Clear Satin. Is this the same as the Bartley Gel Varnish? A: Yep. The best I can figure is that Bartley started as a one step wipe on stain and finish, sold as [...]
Q: I have used the gel varnish that was sold at Rockler for a number of years with outstanding results. Since Rockler no longer carries it and there appears to be a company change taking place I am wondering if there is another brand of gel varnish you recommend. A: That particular gel polyurethane was [...]
Q: I am trying to find the gel base for water based dyes. Do you have formula or resource to this gel base, and does anyone make water base dye gels? A: I used to. Back in the late 80’s to 1995, my wife ran a company called Clearwater Color Company, making waterbased gel dye [...]
Q: I stripped an oak fish tank stand and applied two heavy coats of espresso colored Varathane oil stain, leaving it sit one hour before wiping it off. I then applied two heavy coats of Watco Teak Oil and left them overnight. I found a sticky, gooey mess in the morning. When I tried to [...]
Q: I love gel polyurethane but I was wondering if there is some kind of flattener you would recommend that could be used in it to make it flatter than satin. A: No, there is nothing you can add easily, but there are certainly ways to control the sheen. Bear in mind that is a [...]
Q: The Rockler gel urethane I used to use is no longer available. Any suggestions? A: The Rockler gel was a private label product made by Lawrence McFadden. They went into bankruptcy and their formulas and remaining product was purchased by Seagrave Coatings. Peter Teppermann, the president of Seagrave, assured me that they will continue [...]
Q: What is the best protecting coat over gilded projects and how do we get an antique look? A: There are two types of gold leaf; real gold, which is pure gold hammered to thin sheets, and imitation leaf, sometimes called Dutch metal. Generally speaking, real gold is not antiqued, nor top coated. If you [...]
Q: There’s a method I want to try; waterbased dye, seal, gel stain left dark in corners and wiped to simulate wear, top coat. How can I brush top coat using varnish without screwing up the gel, since varnish needs scratches to hold to? A: No it doesn’t. Just let the gel dry thoroughly so [...]
Q: Any word on the Lawrence McFadden Seagrave deal? A: The decision of the bankruptcy court that must approve Seagrave’s purchase of Lawrence McFadden has been postponed until February first. I will get back to you via this blog once that is finalized, but in the meantime, I spoke at some length to Peter Tepperman, [...]
Q: I have been using Rockler’s gel polyurethane since it was first put on the market. Now that Lawrence-McFadden has gone out of business, is there a product that performs as well their gel polyurethane? A: As of Monday, January 4, 2010, Lawrence McFadden is in the process of transferring its formulations to Seagrave coatings [...]
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