Q. I have to stain some white

pine woodwork in my home. In the past, I have had nothing but problems

when I stain wood. The color is not even, the grain disappears and colors

are much darker than in the sample brochures. I must be doing something

wrong. How can I get professional results from start to finish when staining

woodwork? - S.B., Westland, Mich.

A. I see you have the softwood

blues. I used to get into this same funk many years ago when I first started

in the construction business. Imagine my customers' reaction when

I transformed beautiful white pine woodwork into a blotchy mess.

My initial diagnosis was that

the wood had not been sanded well enough. But I still had problems when

the wood was as smooth as glass. I continued to ruin gorgeous pine trim

because I did not understand that softwoods must be treated with the utmost

care when they are stained.

White pine, alder, spruce and

fir are softwoods that have a very open cell structure. They readily absorb

massive amounts of stain, much more than you and I want them to. Hardwoods

such as oak, poplar, cherry and walnut are much different. Their dense

cellular structure make them harder; because of this, there are simply

fewer voids for the liquid stain to penetrate. A suitable comparison might

be comparing two different pieces of paper. A paper towel readily absorbs

water drops, while a drop of water may sit for minutes on the surface

of glossy paper used in many decorative coffee tables books.

When I decide to stain softwood

lumber, I do what professional painters and woodworkers do and use a clear

conditioner to partially block many of the wood pores. These conditioners

are easy to apply and dry rapidly. Often you can brush them on the piece

of wood and be able to stain within 15 minutes.

The liquid conditioners contain

clear resins and solids that clog the pores of the softwoods. By doing

this, many of the stain pigment particles that create the actual color

are not allowed to soak deeply into the wood. The conditioners also help

to enhance the grain of the wood.

Sanding is still extremely

important when staining wood. Roughly sanded wood exposes more surface

area, which allows too much stain to soak into the wood. When you take

the time to use progressively finer and finer grit sandpaper to eventually

produce a glass-like surface, you minimize the surface area of the lumber.

Taking the time to fine-sand until the wood surface is super-smooth also

is key to achieving a silky surface after the final coats of finish are

applied.

After you have sanded the wood

and removed all dust, apply the clear conditioner. Pay attention to the

instructions as they often state that any wood treated with the conditioner

should be stained within two hours.

Apply the stain and work it

in well with a rag or brush. Wait perhaps 30 seconds and wipe off the

excess stain. All too often people make a mistake by either rubbing too

hard or using a rag that is saturated with stain. (It's a good idea

to practice first on some scraps of woodwork.) Keep in mind that the depth

of color you see the moment the stain is wiped off is generally what the

woodwork will look like after the clear finish is applied.

Be sure the stain dries before

you proceed. If you try to rush the job, the clear finish can lift stain

from the wood, resulting in a blotchy mess. Your choices for clear finish

coats are many. Lately, I have become a huge fan of water-based clear

urethanes. They are easy to apply and dry rapidly. When I use these, it

is not uncommon for me to apply two or even three coats of finish in the

same day. That can be a huge timesaver.

When working with any clear

finish, be sure to check the work as you apply the finish. If you apply

too much clear finish, it may sag or run in spots. After you apply the

finish to a vertical surface, you have a window of opportunity of perhaps

5 minutes when you can correct these errors with your brush instead of

waiting for the finish to dry and then sanding out the defects.

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