Newbie with question

[julie kubiac]

I have a question...I previously had finished some pine trim in one of my bedrooms...now I'm on the last bedroom and I can not remember how I finished the pine in the previous room. I hope someone can jog my memory.

I know I have to pre-condition the pine prior to putting on the stain...I don't like minwax products, sorry. I had used Zar stain before but I can't remember if I used a tung oil for my conditioner. I think I did...I know its not really a tung oil from my reading...however I think I put it on, waited for I believe 15 min. then wiped off the remaining oil and proceeded with the staining. Can anyone tell me if this is a correct procedure or not? I have done a search on the web and can not find instructions on this. I know there is pre-conditioners out there but I'm sure I didn't use one. I want the wood to match in our upstairs bedrooms.

I'm sure someone out there has an answer for me.
Julie

[Steve Schoene]

Just too many possibilities for me to guess at. I'd just go to your usual places to buy stuff, look around to see if that jogs your memory. If not, pick up several of your most likely choices and run a test on sample boards.

Matching exactly may be made more difficult from the passage of time in several ways in addition to not remembering. Formulations may have changed. There has been a lot of that in the last few years as VOC regulations have become tougher. Also, the pine in the previously completed trim is likely to have changed color. Pine usually darkens in light. That can even put you in a tough spot since if you match it now with new pine, in a few years the new will have become darker.

There is a bright spot, as people move from room to room they don't remember exactly how each looked. Only if there are direct side-by-side comparisons does getting it exactly right matter very much.