I made a rustic crate. It's basically just a box. But, we wanted it stained darker rather than the bright yellowish color of pine. So, off to General Finishes we go and to their swatches. We opted for an oil-based liquid stain, specifically Spiced Walnut Oil Stain, 1/2 Pint. After the jump are some pictures of how it turns out on pine.
Before
One Coat
I wiped the stain on with a piece of rag, and made sure to wipe away any excess. The label on the can notes that pine is prone to "blotchiness" so I tried to move quickly and to apply a consistent amount of stain to minimize the blotches. I don't think it turned out blotchy, but the grain pattern is clearly visible (the differing openness of the grain takes up more or less of the stain, leading to darker or lighter appearance). Personally, I don't have a problem with that variation in coloration due to stain.
Second Coat
The label also notes that a second coat can darken the stain, and so a second coat went on as well. It didn't do much. If no stain = 0, black = 10, and the goal darkness is 6, the first coat took us to 5, and the second coat just eased us forward enough to get us to the goal. As far as the lighter areas of grain pattern, they were barely affected by the second coat. I suspect that when applying this to pine, that color variation is simply unavoidable.
Overall it provided an easy-to-use and affordable. I barely put a dent in that little 1/2 pint can (granted the crate wasn't exactly a massive project either), but I suspect you would get a good number of square feet of coverage out of every can.
. After the jump are some pictures of how it turns out on pine.
