Kitchen table finish help

[Jake Vrbka]

So I'm in the process of building a kitchen table. I'm using pine, and am wondering about how to finish it. I was thinking of using a pre stain wood conditioner, then 2-3 coats of stain, then a sanding sealer, after that I'm not so sure. I read about using 4-5 coats of General Arm R Seal, but I was looking at their website and the place they have listed that sells it is over 60 miles away. Any other ideas? I'm planning on using a couple light coats of briwax on top of everything.
I've never really done much finishing other than just staining, so any ideas or thoughts are greatly appreciated!!

[Vaughn McMillan]

Jake, I suspect we'll see some advice from some of the resident pros, but my suggestion would be to consider using dyes instead of stain. For me, dyes are more controllable than stains.

[Jake Vrbka]

I've never used dyes before. Actually, I don't even really know anything about using dyes on wood. I'll have to Google it!

[Vaughn McMillan]

My dye of choice is Transtint liquid dye. I've used it a fair amount on lathe-turned pieces, but a lot of guys use it on flatwork like furniture. I think if you dig around here in the Finishing sub-forum you'll see several threads where guys are using it.

[Jake Vrbka]

Thanks for the idea Vaughn! I haven't had time to Google it yet. This may be a dumb question, but what's the difference between stain and dye?

[Don Baer]

Jake I have switched to using nothing but dyes as they are very easy to get the exact shade I want plus the actually change the color of the wood without covering any of the grain. Here is an article for you. Link

[Jake Vrbka]

Thanks for the link Don! Now for another dumb question, do they sell wood dyes at the borgs, or specialty stores?

[Jim DeLaney]

...do they sell wood dyes at the borgs, or specialty stores?

Woodcragt and Rocklers both carry dyes - but at premium prices. Joe Woodworker's site Probably has the best prices for dyes right now, but for the best info regarding dyes, I'd go to Homestead Finishing, and talk to Jeff Jewitt, the originator of Transtint. There's also a pretty good FAQ section on Homestead's site.