Pine wood finish recommendation

[Alfred Hoffmann]

I am just finishing up building a set of bunk beds for my grand sons. Wood is pine. That's all I could afford. What finish would you folks with experience in finishing pine wood recommend?

[Darren Graham]

If you plan on staining it I normally use a wood conditioner first so that it doesn't stain blotchy or uneven.

[Paul Demetropoulos]

Alfred

Pine can be difficult to finish as it has a tendancy to blotch. Liquid stains get absorbed unevenly so you have a few options. You don't need to stain it at all, just use a film finish. If you want to stain it a gel stain would be the best choice as it will go on evenly.

Sometimes a prefinish or conditioner is used prior to using a liquid stain to prevent blotching. And of course you can always paint the project. I prefer the unstained look of pine.

[John Sanford]

Don't stain it. Just put a clear wipe-on polyurethane on it. The poly will give it a slight honey cast, and age will turn it golden. Another advantage of poly is it will be resistant to most of the solvents and such that you'll need to clean off the inevitable crayons, markers, pencils, paint scuffs, etc that lit'l hellions seem to generate.

[Joe Chritz]

I second (or third) the recommendation for just a clear finish. I don't use poly for anything but floors so I would go with a wipe on varnish like Waterlox original or Behlen's Rockhard.

Shellac would also be a good choice, although not as durable as a wipe on varnish.

Joe

[Paul Demetropoulos]

Agree Joe shellac is a very good choice, my go to finish when protection is not the highest priority.

[Jim Becker]

Another advantage of poly is it will be resistant to most of the solvents and such that you'll need to clean off the inevitable crayons, markers, pencils, paint scuffs, etc that lit'l hellions seem to generate.

Polyurethane varnish gives you no more chemical resistance than any non-poly oil based varnish formula. It only adds some abrasion resistance since it was originally developed for flooring use. That said, it's probably the most "available" varnish product since the marketing gods have made it into nirvana on store shelves.

I do agree that a varnish only finish will impart a nice amber glow to the pine. If coloring is absolutely necessary, a pre-stain conditioner should be used prior to using any kind of pigment stain or the results will be less than attractive with this wood. A water soluble dye is an alternative, but it should be sealed with de-waxed shellac (Zinsser SealCoat, for example) prior to top coating with the varnish.

[Ed Gibbons]

Still will come down to personal preference.

1. Complete sanding
2. Wipe down with mineral spirits. While wood is wet, imperfections will be seen. Fix those that are apparent.
3. Put down several coats of shellac. Many shellacs will impart color. I like garnet. Each subsequent coat will impart more color.
4. If you want more color, add dye to film finish. Water based polys are great for this. Also, they are very easy to use and to most people, they are indistinguishable from oil finishes. They also are extremely durable.
5. If you add color to film finish, after you get the look you want, and feel the need for additonal coats for protection, finish up with additonal coats of the same finish but without dye.

Of course, if you want clear pine, just put down several coats of a film finish. Be aware that oil based film finishes will amber over time. Water based films will stay clear.

Good luck.

[Herbert Wallace]

When I built my house 5 years ago, I used Pine that was cut off my property, bandsawed and airdried. We used it for all the trim, cabinets, wainscoateing and stairs. All interior and exterior doors were custom made from pine. The only finish we used throughout was Bri-wax. It looks great, and the only thing we have had to do over is the stair treads from lots of wear. we used probably 12 gal. cans of the stuff. We could only buy it online.