I'm working on staining some pine wood and I'm concerned about blotchiness. I asked an AI for advice, and it suggested using Minwax pre-conditioner followed by General Finishes gel stain, finishing off with General Finishes Arm-R-Seal. It claimed this combo would give the best results and is good for beginners. Is this advice solid, or are there better alternatives or products for staining pine?
3 Answers
That method sounds similar to what I use for cherry wood. I usually put a thin coat of General Finishes top coat on first and let it sit for a few minutes. Then, while it's still wet, I apply the stain. I haven't tried it specifically on pine, but it works great on cherry!
You don't have to stick with just Minwax's pre-conditioner. You could use General Finishes or even a thinned dewaxed shellac if you want. The GF gel stain and Arm-R-Seal are solid choices! Alternatively, you might want to consider a spray-on stain; those can work really well with woods that tend to stain splotchily, but they do require a bit more skill to apply properly.
While mixing is possible, it's generally safer to stick to one brand for best compatibility. If you're set on Minwax for cost reasons, just keep an eye on how it interacts with the GF products. You don't want any surprises!
Honestly, staining pine is tricky. It tends to absorb stain unevenly, so it might not look great no matter what you do. If you really want to give it a try, I'd recommend using a dye instead of stain. Dyes tend to work more evenly on wood like pine than traditional stains.
Thanks for the tip! I really want to use the GF gel stain and Arm-R-Seal, but is it okay to mix them with Minwax pre-conditioner? Minwax is a lot cheaper, and I'd like to save some cash.