Practice Attempt #4

So far, none of the methods I have tried for using gel stain has given me confidence to try a real cabinet in my home.  Everything has either turned out streaky or too orangey/red.  However, try I must, because as of this morning there is a new deadline for completion of at least my daughter's bathroom, based on the fact that yesterday I finally ordered the tile to replace her 14 year old laminate.  The tile will be installed in exactly 11 days.  If I want to stain the cabinet before the tile, to avoid risking getting stain on the new tile and grout, then I must figure this staining thing out by then, and leave myself time to actually stain the cabinet.
 
Tonight, inspired by this video from Doug Gorton I am going for Attempt #4, using a paint brush to apply the gel stain.

I first poured some mineral spirits into a glass container (I actually poured it into styrofoam first, don't try that).  I then proceeded to use the paintbrush I had picked up to spread a little gel stain around half of the back of the door on the scrap cupboard.  I spread it around as thin as possible and as it got a little tacky, which happened quickly with the thin coat, I dipped the brush in the mineral spirits, cleaned it off a bit on a towel, and then attempted to spread and feather the stain as Doug had in the video.  I have to say, it went really, really well.  The coat of stain went on thin and even and the color was much, much easier to control than it had been with the sock and wipe method.

Here are the results after one coat.  I only did the left half of the door to leave the right half for another attempt.

I waited 24 hours as Doug had warned, and then with brush in one hand, a turpentine rag in the other, and a vision of walnut stained cabinets in my head, I went for a second coat.

 

As you can see, it didn't go so well.  I didn't go for a thin coat, only because I was trying to follow the method used the first time.  Put down stain, spread it around with the brush, dry brush on rag, try to even out stain...except the stain was still too thick, like paint.  So I tried to wipe the brush more and pull off a little color.  The problem I had was that the color was pulling up too quickly in some places, but staying down to thick in others.  I tried using a bit more mineral spirits to help keep the stain workable, which it did, but I still could not get the color to be even, no matter how "feathery" I tried to be with my brush.  And I noticed that instead of being able to see the wood grain, instead all I could see were the brush stroke lines making a wood-like pattern.  Again, not good enough.