Replies

1. 
   SteveSchoene | Apr 22, 2006 05:11am | #1

   I would fill knots and other imperfections AFTER staining.  The filler will not take stain the same as the actual wood, so you need to color it based on the stained wood under one coat of the top coat.  (If anyone should market a product that will reliably take stain the same as the wood around it, they could make a fortune.) 

   Pine is very difficult to stain evenly, particularly if a dark color is desired.  I would not use a stain, I would use an  aniline dye mixed with distilled water.  Dye penetrates more evenly, in particular coloring both early and late wood so you avoid creating zebra effects.  It still can be a bit blotchy but much less than oil based stains on pine.  As far as end grain goes, dye can still color a bit darker, though again not as much darker than pigmented stain.  One easy way that works pretty well is to wipe the end grain with plain distilled water just before applying the dye.  If it is still too dark, then you can wipe off some of the dye with water. 

   The darkness of dye is determined by how concentrated it is mixed, not how it is applied.  Dye should be flooded on, though you want to avoid splattering it about or letting dye run down over bare wood.  If such a thing does happen, just quickly wipe the dye over that area before it dries.  Wipe off excess.  Dye can often look awful after it dries and changes dramatically when the first coat of the top coat is applied.  Consequently, it is very important to test the mix by doing full samples on scrap, including the top coat.  -