Incorporating Blue Stain Pine in Your Woodworking Projects

Holy buckets! My pine is full of bluish-grey stains. What happened there? Don’t worry, it’s not a bad thing. What you’re seeing is called blue stain, and blue stain pine isn’t all that uncommon. Don’t view it as a defect, view it as a feature and benefit.

What causes blue stain pine?

Some people like blue stain so much they encourage it to develop. Want more blue stain pine? Then there’s no stickering of your pile of planks, at least for a while. We want the material to lay face to face to encourage blue stain. You can learn a little more about blue stain, and the drying process, from this article about kiln drying pine.

Are there downsides to blue stain?

Many people love how blue stain looks on their pine. Thankfully it doesn’t hurt the stability or strength of the material.

More about the material you work with

There’s so much going on in the world of wood. Different species, defects that become attributes, how trees are handled and planks are dried…. WoodWorkers Guild of America has lots of videos and articles designed to help you better understand wood.

And when the project is complete?

Once you’ve selected your material and built the project, you’re ready for the finishing step. Don’t just dive in without knowing what you’re doing. Have a look at our tips on wood finishing, and your confidence level on wood finishes will be sure to go up a few notches.