I am about to pick up a pine table. It is a Southern Pine (so I was told) and is definitely harder than the knotty pine furniture I already have. We are replacing a rubberwood table which is stained very dark, and my wife wants a nice dark stain on the pine as well, with a touch of red. I do not have to match the current table, we're just trying to get a deep stain on the pine.
I do not have spraying equipment, and therefore need to stick to brush or wipe on stains. Here is what I was thinking:
0. Apply a pre-stain conditioner (water based!)
1. Sand the table with 220
2. Use a india ink wash to darken the table (50/50)
3. sand with 180, then 220 again
4. apply a water based wipe on stain in a cherry or red mahogany colour (Was going to say Minwax, but from reading the forum that sounds like a dirty word!)
5. sand 220, stain again
6. repeat 5 until desired colour
7. Use a spray lacquer or polycrylic to get a glossy finish, 3 or 4 thin coats (important!)
I'm also considering using the VanDyke colorFX dye fom WoodEssence.com along with Bartley Gel stain in Georgian Cherry, but I've never worked with dyes and I'm not sure if they can even be brushed on.
Ideas?