How to Finish Southern Yellow Pine
- 1). Clean exterior southern yellow pine, using a pressure washer, equipped with a low-pressure tip. Wait a full day for the pine to dry. Skip this step if the southern yellow pine is located indoors.
- 2). Sand the pine with a palm sander or power sander, stocked with 220-grit sandpaper. Sand with the grain of the wood, or you will cause splintering.
- 3). Wipe down the southern yellow pine with tack cloths, effectively eliminating sawdust that could interfere with absorption.
- 4). Protect areas you do not want stained by covering them with painter's tape and drop cloths.
- 5). Coat large areas of southern yellow pine with a light color of oil-based stain, using a roller stocked with a shed-free roller cover. Use a 2- to 4-inch paintbrush, specifically manufactured for use with oil paints, to apply stain to smaller strips of pine. Wipe away excess stain from the pine, using clean, cloth rags. Wait 4 hours for the stain to dry.
- 6). Wash your tools with mineral spirits.
- 7). Use the clean paintbrush to apply a glossy varnish finish to the wood. Wait 3 hours for the varnish to dry. Skip this step if you'd prefer the southern yellow pine unvarnished.
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