Last winter I built out a Johnson blank and I used the Snake Brand universals and got them right from Mike. I got my Agate from Mudhole and like you ended up needing new finish. In the past I've tried probably every new finish that came out. this time I went with Flex coat lite. I'm really happy with the way it works and lays out. the other choice for the glass builds would be something like Perma gloss or Lumiseal. give it a much lighter/ old school look and goes on easy and stays clear.