Create a Welcome with Unfinished Pine Furniture

You can create a warm and welcoming atmosphere with unfinished pine furniture. Pine has traditionally been used for country furniture, and its cheerful informality welcomes friends into your home.

Pine is a softwood: botanically, it is a conifer, and it is literally soft as well. If you can press a mark into a piece of wood with your fingernail, you are probably holding a pine board. It will show the result of any bump it encounters. This softness can be a real advantage; if you want to create a distressed finish, choose unfinished pine furniture for your project.

Many varieties of pine grow throughout the world. In the United States, white pine, yellow pine, and radiata pine are frequently used for making furniture. Any of these can be included in unfinished pine furniture.

Radiata pine, grown on plantations in South America, is a favorite because of its distinctive grain pattern and pale cream color. It is harder than other pines and has fewer knots.

Southern yellow pine is the name used for four different trees: loblolly pine, long leaf pine, shortleaf pine, and slash pine. Yellow pine grows from the Atlantic coast westward to Texas, from Maryland south into Florida, and it is often grown commercially. The wood is a warm pale yellow with brown knots and a distinctive light and dark grain pattern.

White pine is one of the tallest timber trees in the northeastern region of North America. It grows from Newfoundland and Manitoba as far south as South Carolina. It is white to pale yellow in color, and darkens with age to a deep yellow-orange. White pine is lightweight and very soft, straight-grained with a uniform texture. It can be very easily worked with hand tools.

Most unfinished pine furniture needs additional fine sanding before finishing. This eliminates any surface fuzz or roughness that will show when the stain is applied, as well as removing any oils that may have clung when the furniture was touched by human hands. Use very fine sandpaper, and always sand in the direction of the grain. Then rub the surface with a tack rag to remove any dust.

Pine sometimes accepts stain unevenly, especially around the knots. To create a smooth, even finish, it is usually a good idea to seal the knots and to prepare the raw wood for staining with a wood conditioner.

Stains can be water-based or oil-based, liquid or gel, designed to be the first step in a multi-step procedure or incorporated into a one-step finishing project. Each manufacturer issues directions and safety warnings with its products. Be sure to follow all safety precautions and to follow directions carefully when working with unfinished pine furniture.

Unfinished pine furniture is popular with do-it-yourselfers because it accepts most finishes readily. It is easy and pleasant to work with, and the results are charming.