I am planning to paint the base. I only put poly on the top, bottom and middle boards.

 

Did you use gloss or satin?

 

satin

 

Rub it out with 0000 steel wool and wax. Many types of wax you can use. I make my own from beeswax and Mineral spirits and a dash of linseed oil, but I am a purist. Dip the wool in the wax and buff until you get the finish you like. Maybe watch a youtube or two to see how its done.

 

Of you are going to run out with wax, I recommend a harder wax like one with Carnuba wax. It will wear much better.especially on the top.

 

I decided to sand it off and start fresh, maybe try something different than the polyurethane. I wasn't in love with the look of the color so much either. It seemed very drab to me. So here is the raw wood. Sorry about the lighting. It's lousy in my apartment this time of day! Not sure why the first pic is sideways.

 

 

I personally don't like plain pine or poly either. What I did on a recent plank wall was used 2 coats of General Finishes oil based gel stain in Nutmeg and just left it without topcoat, though their "new pine" is also kind of nice just makes it look slightly aged. For a TV stand I would probably do the same. And maybe wax just the top to give a little water protection for when people put drinks on there. If gel stain gets beat up you can just wipe on another coat and wipe off to even out.

What it looks like on my wall(excuse the weird lighting- rainy day in small bathroom:

 

That looks really nice! Was this pine wood? I have never tried gel stain. How did you apply? I wonder though if the nutmeg may end up looking a bit too orange over time on my wood. I love golden brown but not anything that has an orange or red undertone. What does new pine look like? Any other colors you'd recommend?

 

Yes some old pine I ran through a planer(so fresh face), and half brand new from Home Depot. Gel stain is super easy to use and hard to mess up, you don't even need a pre-conditioner on pine like most stains do.
Their site is a treasure trove of info, step by step guides, videos, color charts etc:
https://generalfinishes.com/wood-finishes-retail/oil-based-wood-stains-sealers/oil-based-gel-stains

 

Be aware that any oil based clear finish will tend to give an amber cast whereas a water based clear topcoat will stay "cold" and not color the wood nearly as much.
Pine will tend to "orange" up a bit as it oxidizes, eventually going more brownish. Staining will get you directly to the color you want, gel type being preferred to lessen any blotchiness.

 

Well, I am stuck with the wood the way it has screws and wood glue. The guy who made it didn't choose great wood so this is the best I have been able to get it as far as sanding. I have seen the general finishes site. It seems like the videos are a bit outdated and generic from the company, but it does look like it has a lot of helpful info. This is my coffee table. I love the look of this color but the wood was spruce and much nicer than mine. It was a mix of 3 minwax stains, but the color didn't come out like this on my wood.

 

Did you use water based or oil based wipe on poly? You chose a difficult wood to learn with, pine. Do you want to match the color or just a similar look?

 

I actually didn't choose the wood. I had the tv stand made for me and did not like the way he stained or painted it. So, I had the maybe not so bright idea to sand the whole thing down and start fresh. Well, I didn't realize the quality of the wood until I did this! The minwax wipe on poly I used on the tv stand was oil based. I would like to have a similar color and look if possible. It doesn't have to be exactly the same, but I like that this color doesn't look orange at all.

 

Call me weird ; I personally like the plastic look in the first picture.

 

I wish I liked it better, but not the look I was going for. Tomorrow's a new day..or I guess it 's already tomorrow! Maybe it will come to me in my dreams! LOL

 

I know this doesn't really help, but polyurethane technically is plastic.

 

Try this in a hidden area, on the bottom of a shelf. Sand same as the exposed areas. Using the wipe on poly, wet the surface, keep it wet for 10 min adding finish, wipe it off. Paper towel should be dry. Repeat at least once after 2-3 hrs to let all solvents flash. Any better?

 

I know this doesn't really help, but polyurethane technically is plastic.

- DS

Thank. I do realize that but I've seen it used before over stain and it looks ok. I guess it's more noticeable on raw wood.

 

Try this in a hidden area, on the bottom of a shelf. Sand same as the exposed areas. Using the wipe on poly, wet the surface, keep it wet for 10 min adding finish, wipe it off. Paper towel should be dry. Repeat at least once after 2-3 hrs to let all solvents flash. Any better?

- OSU55

Thanks. I decided to I am going to try natural danish oil instead. Hopefully it will give a richer more natural look!

 

There is a possibility that the poly penetrated some areas of the wood more than others and it might still be there in the pores. Your Danish oil might not go on evenly. Probably not a huge issue with the natural oil, but it might be an issue with a pigmented oil giving an uneven color.

 

Well, doing as I described with poly provides the same look with more protection. Your choice.

 

I don't think the danish oil will look as plastic like.

 

Minwax polycrylic satin will give you protection and it leaves the wood looking natural. It doesn't give the yellow tint so the wood stays looking like wood.

 

Minwax polycrylic satin will give you protection and it leaves the wood looking natural. It doesn t give the yellow tint so the wood stays looking like wood.

- diverlloyd

Thanks. I actually do have this, but never thought of applying it just on raw wood.