Pine is an inexpensive and solid wood to work with. From staining to painting, there are many ways to make pine look gorgeous beyond its unfinished state. A couple of years ago, I purchased a desk from a local unfinished wood store in Boston that works exclusively with pine, but it wasn't until this past weekend that I did something to make this pine shine.
For my pine desk from Bostonwood, I wanted to stain it black and finish it with a high-gloss polyurethane. My inspiration came from seeing several black hardwood floors that I LOVE, like in this picture from an article in the New York Times.
What you'll need to stain unfinished pine to a black and shiny finish:
- 120 and 220-grit sandpaper
- Pre-stain wood conditioner
- 8 oz. can of an ebony wood stain
- 1 quart of a fast-drying polyurethane
- 1 cheap paint brush
- Old t-shirt
I begin by sanding the desk with 120-grit sandpaper. (I love that this winter weather is fading, especially because I get to work outside.) The stain's instructions suggest to sand with a 220-grit before staining, but in my experience with pine, it is better to start with 120-grit, because the rougher paper really helps open up the wood to allow the stain to fully absorb.
After sanding with the 120-grit paper, I apply a pre-stain conditioner, which is designed to help stains absorb evenly in soft and porous woods like pine. I let this pre-stain absorb in the desk for at least 15 minutes before I start staining.
After allowing the pre-stain to absorb, I stir the ebony Minwax stain I am using for this project and apply it with a brush to all parts of the desk. I am using a generous amount of stain with each application and will let the stain sit on the wood for a good 15 minutes before I buff.
The more time the stain sits on the wood, the richer the color gets. Once I allow a proper amount of time for the stain to absorb, I cut a piece of an old shirt to buff the stain in the wood and to wipe off any excess stain that wasn't absorbed. I'm going to let this dry for about 3-4 hours.
The wood is still a bit streaky and could obviously use a few more coats of stain. I lightly sand the desk again with 120-grit sand paper, and repeating the same steps as before, (minus the pre-stain), I stain the desk again. After the second stain dries, I then use the 220-grit sandpaper to smooth out the desk and then I apply one last coat of stain.
Now I have achieved the stain consistency I desire, so it's time to apply the polyurethane. One must make sure that the stain is completely dry and the piece is free of dirt and dust before applying the poly. I coat a generous amount of a high-gloss polyurethane with a cheap brush on all surfaces of the desk. Watch out for drips on the edges and vertical surfaces of your piece! Once these drips dry they're there for good.
The can of polyurethane's directions suggests that I put on two coats, but I was absolutely satisfied after one generous coat. I allowed this to dry for a full 24 hours before placing anything on the desk's surface.
Whoa, why didn't I do this sooner!? Trust me Apartment Therapy readers / fellow DIYers - you can do this with your unfinished pine piece, too. Follow these steps and come out with an amazingly shiny, black-stained piece!
Marina Replicates Her Boston Home 
30 DIY Projects for the 3-Day Weekend
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Hunter Bennie Garde...
Make Chocolate Magic Shell Ice Cream Topping with Only 2 Ingredients
Magic One-Ingredient Ice Cream 5 Ways: Peanut Butter, Nutella, and More
Comments (12)
Brilliant!
Personally, I think pine always look better painted. ;-)
I gotta ask the dumb question:
If you're pre-sanded, why do you need to sand in between applications of stain? Aren't you sanding off the layer of wood you've just stained?
If I remember correctly from my college woodworking class, you sand in between coats of stain (and polyurethane and other finishers) in order to raise the grain of the wood, which allows for a deeper and more even absorption of whatever product you will then rub or brush in.
You sand inbetween coats to smooth out dust or other small particles that have fallen onto the piece during the dry time. You are lightly sanding, so you will not take away (much) from the previous stain(s).
as a furniture designer, my favorite method for black stain is using speedball india ink. there's pretty much no way to mess it up, so long as you're careful not to make a mess.. it dries incredibly quickly, and then i use a finish/top coat of wipe-on poly. (i prefer the satin finish, but they also offer a glossy version). feel free to check out the "flex lounge chair" on my site which uses this finish.
frankcresencia.com
Hi - the actual reason for sanding between coats is because liquid (paint, water, oil finishes, etc.) raises the grain of the wood. when you sand you are removing these. it also helps to even out uneven application of the finish (for example sloppy painting).
maybe a stupid question but...why stain instead of just paint? From the photo of the finished desk, it seems as though the grain of the wood is no longer visible. If this is the desired look, wouldn't painting be easier/faster? I thought staining was for allowing the grain to still show through?
Ooh....
I just acquired a chair and table set that is all yellow-y (the intended color, I assume) and have pondered staining it either very dark or very light. I'm not sure the actual wood is as light as your initially sanded table though....
It's absolutely gorgeous. I love how sleek it looks.
Looks great, I've never worked with the pre-stain and I must say it definitely made the finished product look great. For those who wondered why stain instead of paint. A good stain job usually looks better than 3 or so coats of paint. the paint can get thick, even with proper application. Stain is a much more forgiving application.
Great job - I usually go from 120, 220 to 320 to get an even silkier finish. Sanding in between all coats of stain is a must, and especially if you do multiple coats of poly (I usually do a minimum of three coats). Tacky cloths are great to remove any dust in between coats.
I completely agree with fcresenc - wiping on india ink is my favorite method for a perfectly black finish. Its not cheap though and quality of ink matters: I haven't tried Speedball, but Windsor and Newton has much better results than a bulk sized bottle of Higgins I bought recently.
Aniline wood dye also works really well. I buy it in powder form and dissolve it in alcohol, then apply it the same way I would apply india ink. I've also dissolved aniline dye in polyurethane and sprayed that directly onto wood. I'm sure the color didn't soak into the grain very deeply, but it beat the hell out of sanding all the nooks and crannies down to bare wood on this chair: http://www.lizandnategordon.com/2011/01/liz-learns-that-reupholstery-and-refinishing-is-harder-than-it-looks-part-2/