Bare pine

A thin coat of pale shellac (not the orange stuff) works pretty well. We did that on the shelves in our daughter's room 10/15 years ago, and they still look good. The shellac stops any weeping, and makes the wood easier to keep clean.

It will just get muckier over the years. Best to varnish them. A none shiny varnish if you don't want it to be apparent.

Thought you'd sorted your malware?

The dust and grime will work into the wood, so it may look dirty grey in time.

On Monday 20 May 2013 00:18 Theo Markettos wrote in uk.d-i-y:

Not sure about "Whitewood" but Yellow Pine does colour significantly with age (1-2 years).

There might be a better paint - google for "distressed" and "paint".

Not IME with Yellow Pine.

If they're "whitewood" (spruce) they shouldn't go orange with age, nor should the knots weep (both issues are more associated with redwood). It'll be softer than redwood, and more porous, but fine for books I would have thought.

Whitewood = spruce generally redwood = pine, its not red though

Dirt, varnish it.

NT

Briwax is the answer. A gentle rub over with a cloth laden with Briwax will keep them clean. This is how we've done out larder upper shelves and it's worked very well. In our 'snug' I have some shelves, again pine, that we've stained dark oak and again Briwaxed them - works very well. AWEM

Water based lacquer, satin or gloss, is very clear and non yellowing. Easy worked with as well.

A water based varnish won't give that orange effect which is mainly oil based varnish changing colour.

worked with as well.

I have been very pleased with the tough water based acryclic we used in various places - intended for floors. Tough and easy to use.

The wood underneath still changes colour very considerably. But at least does not have yellowed varnish as well.

Does that keep the colour? I did some other shelves in 'Finishing Oil' (which I think is tung oil diluted with other stuff) and it's still gone quite yellow. At the moment the bare pine is roughly 'magnolia' coloured and the oiled stuff is 'corrugated cardboard' coloured. Is that sort of colour change likely to happen whatever I do to it?

Theo

Don't recognise that brand, but used one of the products using paraffin wax, a bit of bees wax, and a volatile solvent to soften it very successfully on victorian stripped pine dresser

Think it will since the surface of the wood changes colour. Most oil based varnishes go darker with age too adding to the whole colour change.

Briwax has been the antique trade's favourite for at least half a century. The clear version doesn't affect the colour but shows up white in the nooks and crannies

Even unfinished redwood changes colour, but whitewood doesn't

Well I needed shelves in a hurry 5 years ago, and lobbed up some made from pine window boards (i.e. fairly thick bullnosed planks), with the intention of varnishing them when time permitted. As you can probably predict, they are still untreated and look fine.

With hindsight, I should have just given them a wipeover with a blond shellac...

Yes, shellac works well. It's quick to do and quick to dry.

I ran the program someone recommended. I found eight dodgy "objects" which I deleted. It hasn't solved the problem but the computer seems to run a bit faster so there was some benefit.