Gel stain recommendations

I am doing an antique restoration, and looking for a suitable gel stain to use over a shellac base coat. After much investigation, I'm pretty sure that's what the desk already has on it, and I would like to replicate that look - it gives a nice stain colour to the piece, without using dye stains which will soak into the wood (I don't want to make life difficult for the next person who refinishes the desk in another 100 years). I'm also looking to get a bit of antiquing look with the gel stain in the details.

Does anyone have recommendations for good quality gel stains, and where to buy in Australia?

You’ve probably found a solution since posting this but here’s what I’ve been using:

Dixie Belle - Walnut No Pain Gel Stain 16oz - Light Colored Stain for Warm Oaky Feel

It doesn’t look like much but it does a good job. I’ve been using it on my QLD Maple staircase to get more of an aged look. I’ll post some pics. It should be noted that I applied a few analine dyes before the gel stain, but the gel stain really added that aged touch. On the stringers you can see the original colour of the qld maple.

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Hi Chode. Thanks for the link. I'm still trying to figure out the best approach. The darkness around the edges - is that from the gel stain, or did you create that look by spraying the dyes?

No that’s the gel stain. I applied a black dye uniformly (and then sanded back so it would stay in the figuring), a yellow maple die uniformly and then a cherry dye uniformly.

I then brushed the gel stain all over and wiped off with paper towel almost straight away. I used a little bit of turps to then rub the stain off the middle sections and feather it out so the edges would be darker. But the edges/mouldings/intersections etc will tend to go darker anyway as it’s harder to wipe the stain off from those areas.

It’s pretty easy to work with. If you make it too dark just wipe it off with turps.

It looks great. I might give the Dixie Bell a try. Thanks!

Found a pic after the dye but before the stain so you could see the difference. Dye is wet here though so not as dull as it would have been once it dried.

Good luck!

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Really nice colours. Did you just use the dye with a metho or oil base, or did you mix the dye into a shellac coat?

Yeah it was fun experimenting with different colours. These are water based powders. J.E. Moser’s brand from the States. I just mixed them up with some warm water and brushed them on and wiped the excess off with paper towel.