Ron,


want to use pine for this also.
turned out a bit splochy.

We built all of our cabinets (kitchen, laundry, bath, etc.) out of pine.

I sanded with 100 grit paper, then followed up with 150 grit.

I wiped on a coat of Min-Wax Prestain Conditioner. Didn't have to be fancy,
I just slathered it on with paper towels. According to the can, you should
stain within 15 minutes of applying the conditioner.

Then we wiped on a coat of Min-Wax "Windsor Oak" Gel stain, using a stain
applicator pad (sponge covered with a terry cloth).

Finally, we applied a coat of Olympic oil based satin poly, sanded lightly
with 220 grit, and applied a second coat of poly.

All of our pine cabinets turned out great. A nice mellow color with no
splotches.


We also had pine doors in our house, but after a few tests we decided on
Zinzer amber shellac. It was easier than trying to get stain into all the
nooks and crannies of the door panels. The first coat was applied straight
from the can. Then I sanded lightly with a 180 grit foam sanding block
(molds to the contours). Then I applied a diluted coat, half amber shellac,
half denatured alcohol. This left a nice color without a lot of gloss.

Anthony