To cut right to the chase: I am extremely pleased with the results I achieved with this product. I am an experienced "hobbyist" woodworker but still get apprehensive with the finishing stage of a project. The GF finish allowed me to achieve my goals: a satin finish on a maple cabinet top with no yellowing or color change.
The cabinet top is a glued-up maple panel approximately 55" x 15". I sanded it to 320 with a Bosch random orbit sander prior to applying any finish. I cleaned up the sawdust after sanding and between coats of finish with a tack cloth. I sanded and finished BOTH the top and bottom of the panel. I did not count the number of coats, but three was not enough. I am guessing I stopped at eight coats.
For the first half-dozen coats I used the finish straight out of the can, after mixing thoroughly (required to get the satin particles off the bottom of the can, I would say 5 to 7 minutes of stirring with a small paint stick). The last couple coats I thinned the finish quite substantially after pouring the needed amount into a small paint pail. Since the finish in the can is of a milky consistency let me use a milk analogy: think of what's in the can as the consistency of the half-and-half you put in your coffee. My last couple coats were the consistency of skim milk with a little water added. I found that the thinner final coats allowed the brush marks to relax quite a bit more than in the thicker coats. I would recommend thinning for the final coats; if I was doing it over again I would probably use the out-of-the-can consistency only for maybe ther first two or three coats and then start thinning from there.
I used a good "traditional" paintbrush, a Purdy Nylox "Dale" model (soft bristle) with a beveledf tip, 2-1/2" wide. GF recommends a foam brush. I can't comment on this as I did not try it, but for sure the brush marks were my biggest issue. This is why I attempted the thinning (successfully, as it turned out) described above. I am not a fan of foam brushes but would have tried one had the thinning not worked.
I sanded between coats using successively finer grits. 320 on the first couple coats, then 400, then 600, 800, and finally 1000 automotive paper prior to the last couple coats. As others have observed here, this finish dries completely quite quickly. In my case I left most coats to dry at least 8 hours and by that time the sanding produced a fine white powder with no stickiness at all. This was easily cleaned with a brush-equipped shop vac followed up by a tack cloth. (BTW I did use the cheapie oil-based tack cloths you can pick up at Lowes with no oil-vs-water problems.)
I also used this finish an a couple of maple plywood shelves with solid maple edging for the inside of the cabinet. No issues here either and the color is completely natural. I also put a coat of Butcher's wax on these shelves maybe a day after the last coat - worked great after being buffed out with a wool pad on the Bosch random orbit sander. Will probably do this to the top eventually as well.
The things I would be most careful to look out for are BRUSH MARKS and DRIPS. I addressed the brush mark issue by thinning the finish. All of my surfaces were flat and horizontal so it was pretty easy to avoid drips. I could see this being a bigger issue for vertical surfaces, so be careful if you have those or any detailed carvings or turnings.
Very easy cleanup with warm water and a touch of True-Green cleaner. I stay away from hand soap for these kinds of things as those often contain various oils. I found little or no VOC or odor with this finish, another significant positive for my in-home (basement) workshop.
It goes without saying that this finish is relatively expensive compared to the Minwax at one of the box stores.
But the bottom line for me, again, I got what I was after which is a nice satin finish with a natural color maple cabinet top. Would definitely use this finish again.
| Liquid Volume | 32 Fluid Ounces |
|---|---|
| Item Form | Liquid |
| Manufacturer | General Finishes |
| Part Number | QTHSG |
| Item Weight | 2.3 pounds |
| Product Dimensions | 5 x 5 x 5 inches |
| Item model number | QTHSG |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Size | 1 Quart |
| Color | Semi-Gloss |
| Finish | Semi-Gloss |
| Item Package Quantity | 1 |
| Included Components | 1 quart |
| Batteries Included? | No |
| Batteries Required? | No |
