Staining Pine

[mackmack]

Really this is about staining in general but I am using pine.

I have been using Minwax polyshades and it's ok. I read on the minwax site about "Minwax Woodsheen" which is an oil stain.

I was wondering if anyone has used this stuff and what they thought?

[offthemark]

I've never used that particular product before but I've done lots of pine furniture. I use plain old minwax stain with good results. The trick is to use pre-stain conditioner before staining. Helps with any large pore woods.

[Jeffrey Schronce]

Staining pine is about as difficult of a wood as you are going to encounter as an beginner. It tends to get real blotchy and uneven. I think pine looks good with a top coat only, no stain, but I understand the popular country style dictates stained pine.
Pre-conditioning is the key OR using a gel stain. Minwax makes an ok gel stain, but I would go to a ACE Hardware or local paint store that sells ZAR stains. It is not marketed as a gel stain but it has a very nice thick consistency that sits on top of the wood rather than deeply penetrating, thus it is much more even. I think gel stain is the way to go with pine. If you are going to go with a pre-conditioner and standard oil stain then make your own pre-conditioner. That stuff is WAY over priced!!!!!
Oh, and I have had terrible results with water based stains on pine, so watch out for that one!
To answer your question on Woodsheen by Minwax, after reading the site it seems that it would be a possible option, again assuming it is not incredibly expensive per ounce. It kind of has the $8 bottle for 8 oz look to it which is not feasible for a large project. I am not against spending $ on finish supplies as I tend to spend a heck load on General Finishes products, but just make sure you are getting a great product for the price.

[mackmack]

Thanks for the advice. I will look into Zar and give it a try.

You are right about the woodsheen. It is about 12 bucks for a 12 oz bottle.

How do you make your own pre-conditioner by the way??