There seems to be some confusion out there about how to properly stain unfinished pine furniture. I ran across a message board post a few days ago that claims that pine furniture does not stain well. As a builder of pine furniture, I can assure you that this is complete and utter rubbish. My guess is that this misguided soul simply doesn't know the proper method of staining furniture.
Some people try to apply wood stain just as they would paint; with a brush. These folks paint the entire piece and let the stain set. This is very much not the way to stain unfinished furniture. Staining furniture should be done with some lint free rags. You only stain small areas at a time.
Take one of your rags and dip part of it into your well stirred stain. Rub said portion of the rag over a small area of the piece you are attempting to stain. Always begin with a part of the furniture that will not show, just to test the color. Once you have a small area covered, allow it to set for no more than twenty seconds. Using a fresh lint free cloth, wipe the excess stain from the area you just coated. repeat these steps to stain the entire piece. Once finished, use brushes to apply several (At least four) coats of a clear polyeurothane or tung oil clear sealant. The more coats you apply, the richer the stain will appear.
You see, paint simply adheres to the outside of the wood. Stain, on the other hand, actually soaks into the surface of the wood. The longer you leave the stain to set, the darker the stain will appear. This is why it is important to wipe away the excess before it has time to fully set. Once it is fully set, any runs or blemishes will show.
I hope this information is useful.
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