General Finishes help, please

[nold.dog]

Hello -
First time poster - long time reader asking for some help with a project.  I recently installed a new 12' long fiberglass patio door/window.  On the interior side the door and windows are faced with Douglas Fir that I will stain and clear.  I will be using General Finishes Gel Stain and then Arm-R-Seal Oil & Urethane Topcoat. 
My concern is that working here in Southern California with temperatures in the high 80s and low 90s the stain and finish will dry before I can wipe it off - particularly on the 12' lengths.
Your suggestions and experiences are greatly appreciated.

Thank you,
Don

[cputnam]

Can you use dye instead of stain? Can you work at night or early AM when it is cool?

[jteneyck]

How did you buy Arm-R-Seal in CA; I thought it was no longer sold there?  Anyway, do the work inside your house where it's air conditioned and you should have no trouble wiping off the gel stain and wiping on (but not off) the Arm-R-Seal.  That may not be the answer you were looking for, but working at 50% RH and 75° F is about perfect conditions.  

John

[Kansas City Fireslayer]

Don,

Is the GF gel stain an oil based product?  If so, you'll have plenty of time and if you need more work in smaller areas of wiping on/off.  Otherwise, you could add a dab of mineral spirits.  I've never used a water based gel stain so I'm no help there.  Practice on some scrap and see how it behaves for you.  

Any particular reason you're using the Arm R Seal?  If it's what you have on hand then I understand.  It's nice not to buy a new can of finish for every project.  Personally, I'd go bonkers waiting a day or better in-between to repeat coats.  GF makes High Performance poly that's brushable and it dries fast.  Ms. Nomer says she brushed out their water based Enduro poly just fine but GF says it's spray only.  Per a poster's testing here, the GF Enduro has better chemical resistance but with a door I wouldn't be terribly worried about that.  If you use an oil based stain, shellac or dye under the waterbased poly, you should get good depth and character of grain.  I recently used the Enduro over clear shellac and dye and grain/color is outstanding.  To each their own but I don't have the patience for 4+ coats of ARS.....at least not for a door.  Hope this helps.

[nold.dog]

First, I want to thank you who responded.  It helped me process this finishing project.

Second, to answer your questions:
a)  Using a dye did not occur to me.  I am a tinkerer at best and this is my first real finishing project.  Working in the early AM is a great idea - and such an obvious idea that now I am curious why I do not need assistance with my meals.
b)  The stain and clear finish are oil based.  I am using the General Finishes based on my reading on various woodworking forums where General Finishes seem to be highly regarded.  I am using the oil based products because my (limited) experience with water based clears is they impart a very clear to slightly milky tint.  I like the slight amber tint of the oil based products I have used.  Also, based on nothing more than the fact that I am an old guy (I drive an old american car and change the oil every 3 k miles), I reasoned the oil based products would wear better longer.

Again, Thank You.

Don

[nold.dog]

Further opinions please.....
I have applied the stain and now two coats of the Arm-R-Seal oil based clear.  Because of my largely uncontrolled environment I have a serious amount of dust in the finish.  I accept that this is a patio door and not a museum piece but I would like to knock the bumps down.
So do I act now (at two coats) to sand or steel wool the surface before additional coats?  My fear is that I will encapsulate the dust in the next coats.  Or do I let the finish build to better withstand the sanding?  I have the time so I am planning on four coats total.

Your recommendations are greatly appreciated.

Thank you,
Don

[Rob Young]

Scuff sand lightly with 320 or 400. The directions for most polyurethane s say to do that between coats anyway if more than 12 hours have passed.

Hand sand, not power.

[Cooler]

Yes, hand sand.  You are not trying to remove finish, you are just trying to add some light texture (tooth) for improved adhesion.  But mostly I think it is to remove all the little things that landed on the surface between coats.

[nold.dog]

Okay.  Follow up report.  I have applied four coats of General Finishes oil based gloss clear.  I lightly sanded with 400 after coats 2 and 3.  The result was very shiny (actually too shiny for my taste) with some dust in the finish.  I then decided to try Johnson's Paste Wax applied with 0000 steel wool to knock down the dust and the shine a bit.  That worked.  Except now I have spots where the wax dried before I could buff it out.  I am afraid to rub too hard because I do not know how tough the General Finishes oil based clear is. I also have very very fine lines/scratched on the surface of the finish.  I am willing to accept the scratches as part of the learning curve and that this is the interior side of a patio door.
So my last (honest!) question on this is if there is a product that will help me deal with or remove the dried wax and fill/hide the very very fine scratches?

I am very appreciative of your assistance and have learned a lot with this project.

Thank you,
Don

[jteneyck]

Apply more wax with a high quality 0000 steel wool.  The new wax will dissolve the wax in your dry spots.  Leave only a thin film on the surface and then buff with a soft cloth.  You should have a uniform satin sheen.  If you see deep, individual scratches, they were either there before you started the finishing process or the steel wool you used had some coarse fibers or grit in it.  If they are under the finish, there's no getting rid of them unless you strip/sand to remove them.  If they are in the finish then you can sand them out, carefully, with 600 or 800 grit, then wax/steel wool again to restore the sheen. 

John