The softwood Pine is easy to work with - until you decide to finish it slightly darker than with “clear” polyurethane. That is to say, for most of my instant gratification projects, it takes too long or is just inconvenient to do all the steps typically required for the finish not to be SPLOTCHY! There is a product that has nearly the same quick finish characteristics as clear polyurethane - in maybe two (slightly darker than clear) colors.
Varathane Water Based ONE STEP Stain & Polyurethane (semi-gloss). This comes in quart size cans and is available in 8 colors. In my experience, 1 or 2 of these colors work when applied with care on the softwood Pine without excessive splotching; they are:
GOLDEN OAK (no. 727) gives Pine a light brown, slightly yellow color.
PROVINCIAL (no. 730) gives Pine a brown, slightly red color.
Provincial is a little darker than Golden Oak. Both colors make Pine darker by adding another coat. For more durability with little additional darkening, one or more coats of water based clear polyurethane can be applied after ONE STEP.
Good luck and happy hobby shopping! Please always follow the manufacturer’s literature.
Related information:
(800) 635-3286
www.varathane.com
www.woodanswers.com
- QwkDrw
- "...draws with pencils -- not quickly." Writing under the obliquely oxymoronic moniker QwkDrw, I fancy this blog an internet-based “column”; articles often beginning with a descriptive photo. The posts, sometimes written in series, are easily further researched by readers with links to sources, photos, video clips, and additional information. This blog is not represented as authoritative and complete -- it is a sort of brief synopsis or abridged digest version of larger matters condensed from one perhaps inexpert perspective into a reasonable amount of reading time. The topics here might be interesting to someone also of my background and may or may not be more widely appealing. 2014 Blog Award: 10 Hot Readers and their Blogs. "#4. QwkDrw - Possibly one of the first commenters on my blog the mysterious QwkDrw has stuck around... I love his sense of humor." Annabel Candy, "Get in the Hot Spot" blog.