Sneak Peak

I am finally finished with Michelle's table!  It was quite a large undertaking and because I was trying to fit it in between client projects, it has taken me quite a while to complete.  Here's a sneak peak.

This table is made of pine which can be tricky to work with.  Here are some things to keep in mind when working with this type of wood.

Pine can be easily dented with your fingernail.  Because of this, it's not always worthy of refinishing.  But if you come along a table as beautiful as this one - you do it anyway.

Orbital sanders {even high quality sanders} will leave swirl marks in the wood.  Most of these marks will not become obvious until you start staining.  I learned this the hard way.  I started sanding the finish off this table with 40 grit and slowly moved my way up to higher grits thinking that the unsightly swirl marks would disappear as I did.  I was wrong.  In compete frustration, I turned to the internet for a solution.  The solution...hand sanding :(

 {I need one of those body bugs to count my calories as I sand - it's quite the workout.  Maybe if I knew how many calories I was burning, I might not feel so guilty for the absence of exercise in my day.}

Pine doesn't absorb stain evenly and the result is unsightly splotches.  To help with this, apply a wood conditioner before.  Different wood conditioners are available for water-based and oil-based stains.  The wood conditioner will raise the grain the of the wood, so it will need to be sanded again after.

Do you have any additional facts or tips when working with pine?