# I really dislike staining pine. I also need to get rid of a blue mold stain



## Airspeed (Mar 11, 2013)

I have a fairly endless supply of free 1X12X48" pine and will be using a lot of it in the near future. I hate trying to get a descent finish on it. Right now I'm building a rocking chair and am ready to finish it but hate the look of pine stained, I can never get an even finish, it always looks blotchy and unless I select the pieces very carefully they never match. I've read up on pre treatments and tried several methods with little success. I'm considering using some type of wash color instead. Do any of you have examples of washed finishes? I'm talking about transparent colors like blue, red, green, etc. 
One of the pieces I used has a blue mold stain, unfortunately it's right in the middle of the hollow seat. I'm thinking of trying to bleach it out but I don't have any scraps with blue mold to test the bleach on. Will bleach get rid of the blue mold stain? Thanks!


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## Elizabeth (Oct 17, 2009)

If you use a blue wash on the piece maybe the blue mold won't be visible? Just a thought; I haven't worked with dyes much. Personally I like the blue mark.


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## redSLED (Mar 21, 2013)

Ever tried 1 or 2 coats of 1 lb.-cut clear shellac and super-light sanding before staining, instead of off-the-shelf wood conditioner, to reduce blotchiness and grain lines contrast? For pine, spruce and fir, the conditioning/sealer coat is an always must-do for good-looking finishing. Mold in wood is a separate issue I haven't learned enough about.


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## sprucegum (Dec 6, 2012)

Blue mold stain as far as I know is impossible to remove. sometimes if it is not too deep it can be sanded or plained away but sometimes it goes all the way thru. It is often caused by leaving the logs exposed to the elements in hot weather. Most pine mills in the North East try to produce the majority of their lumber between Sept. and May.
It can also be caused by miss handling the lumber after it is sawed.
Some folks think it looks good with a natural finish, I'm not in love with it but I like it better than dark minwax.


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## redSLED (Mar 21, 2013)

I would love to have your fairly endless supply of 1×12x48 pine. [quietly sobbing]


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## Airspeed (Mar 11, 2013)

Thanks all! I just got lucky, I just got done talking with my son in law (my supply of free 1X12"s) and he told me my daughter actually likes un stained pine! Problem solved! I'm going to give it a few coats of urethane and be done! I tried some diluted bleach on the blue mold stain and it didn't do much, maybe a slight reduction in blue. It's in an unfortunate area of the seat, I didn't see any mold in it until I carved out the seat so I guess it stays. 
Redsled, I would share my endless supply if you were close! If I dont take these boards they get burned in a Co gen plant! It's amazing how much they burn! I am going for another unit soon! Thanks again everyone!


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## OggieOglethorpe (Aug 15, 2012)

On pine, I'm a big fan of either orange or amber shellac, or paint.

The amber tones of the shellac provide a classic pine look that seems to be ageless. Real milk paints can look good too, especially multiple different color coats, worn in spots to let the layers show. Wax can be used to adjust the sheen of milk paint.


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## kizerpea (Dec 2, 2011)

Yep..amber shellac will work fine…give it that yellowish color wid a shine…cut it wid denatured alc…25% apply with a foam brush..dries fast to…


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## stnich (May 24, 2010)

You might experiment with a two part wood bleach. I have used it before but never on pine. It tends to remove almost all of the color out of wood and then you stain with what ever color you want. The product I have used in the past is Kleen Strip. Make sure you condition the wood before you stain it otherwise it will likely blotch. Also you have to neutralize the wood after the bleaching. Just follow the directions on the package. There is also Oxalic Acid which is not as strong as wood bleach.


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## Airspeed (Mar 11, 2013)

I have some fine tuning and sanding to do on the rocker I'm building and want to use some wood hardener on the seat and bottom of the rockers. I've never used wood hardener before so I have no idea what if any color change may occur. I used pine on this project and want to harden up these areas. Does wood hardener such as what minwax sells do any good? I'm not staining the rocker, I'm using lacquer only, will the wood hardener change the color the same as lacquer? I'll be spraying lacquer over the hardener so I want to make sure it's not going to be noticeable.


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## waho6o9 (May 6, 2011)

Blotch control from fellow LJer, Charles Neils.


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## wswartzwel (Mar 1, 2013)

Charles Neil has an episode online, that deals with finishing and staining pine without blotching on you tube.


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## Airspeed (Mar 11, 2013)

I got out of staining this chair as my daughter wants natural pine now so conditioner isn't needed now, I'm more interested in hardening up the pine in the seat and bottom of the rockers now. I'm wondering if wood hardener is worth the effort and if it will show a noticeable difference in color after I spray the lacquer? Thanks!


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## RogerInColorado (Jan 18, 2013)

The blue you see is likely from the pine beetle. Between the time the pine beetle lays its eggs and the larvae emerge, the tree "catches the flue". That kills the tree. The blue is evidence of what killed the tree. The pine beetle has devastated pine forests in the Rocky Mountains and elsewhere. They attack trees stressed by drought and therefore contribute to huge fuel supplies for the major fires that have been raging in these areas for the last several decades. Beetle Kill Pine has become quite popular for those seeking the rustic look. Kudos to your daughter for appreciating the blue as part of the natural order of things.


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

Are you thinking of using a wood hardener on the rockers to help durability? I don't know if it will be worth it but it's an interesting experiment.


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