Pine can be stained to closely match almost any of the more expensive and harder woods of which furniture is generally made. The hardware stores supply color cards that show the effect of their stains, which may be had in small cans and are easily applied. There are three kinds of stains sold water, acid, and oil stain. Always use the latter, which may be applied with a brush or a rag, rubbing it well in and finally wiping off with a dry cloth all that has not soaked in. Always try the stain on a small block before using.

After the piece has thoroughly dried, which will take several hours, go over the surface very lightly with fine sandpaper, and then apply a coat of rubbing wax, which also comes in small cans and is about as thick as shoe polish. Rub this in evenly all over, rubbing with the grain and real hard for several minutes.

This simple process results in a very practical finish, which may easily be restored when scratched by rewaxing.

The foregoing answers very well for the more simple pieces, but with pieces of furniture that are to be used daily for years a more elaborate treatment is necessary.

While accurate building is, of course, the essential requirement, an otherwise successful article may be quite ruined by being poorly finished. A piece well constructed, substantially built, the grain of the wood accurately matched, the parts soundly fitted together and the general line of the article artistic, needs to be properly finished to make it a truly successful piece of work.

Before beginning the finishing of a new piece of furniture one of the most important points contributing to success is to have the wood in good condition, thoroughly dry and as smooth as it is possible to make it by the use of fine sandpaper. Another feature that contributes greatly to satisfactory results is rubbing, long and steady; in fact, the more rubbing the furniture gets, the more beautiful will be the texture and gloss of the wood, no matter what variety of finish it may receive. Broad surfaces, of course, show the effect of rubbing more than the small parts and the tendency usually is to put a great deal of time on them, but in really good work every part of a piece should have a smooth, satiny texture.

Briefly stated, the method of treating a new piece of furniture involves three operations - namely, staining, filling and finishing. The stain, or wood dye, as it is sometimes called, is applied first and gives the wood the desired shade or color. When the stain is well dried a coat of filler is applied to fill up the pores of the wood, after which the finishing preparation of wax or varnish is put on, one or more coats being used, each carefully rubbed.

Although this has been essentially the method of wood finishing for many years, great progress has recently been made in developing a wide variety of color effects and finishing products that give a durable and elastic, semi-glossy surface. Almost every one is familiar with the exquisite results that may be obtained on such woods as mahogany and oak, but few realize the attractive effects that can be obtained with such inexpensive woods as pine, cypress and chestnut.