Everyone makes mistakes. It’s part of being human. The question for you is how do you keep your mistakes from becoming serious problems? Better yet, how do you avoid making mistakes to begin with? This post will answer these two questions and how to repair a few not-so-common mistakes when finishing your unfinished wood furniture.

For the experienced as well as the amateur craftsman, carpenter, or woodworker, mistakes are inevitable to a degree. By maintaining an attitude of humility and knowing when to ask for help, you can avoid committing errors, both serious and trivial. When working with wood, like anything, each task has it’s own peculiar set of pitfalls. Let’s dive in and talk about them.

- Sanding pen marks out of furniture: This is an easy one. With pen marks, if the ink is non-permanent, simply use a low-power belt or block sander and gently sand away the ink-stained wood until the pen mark is gone. If the ink is permanent, sanding will still work, but make sure the ink is truly gone afterwards, otherwise it may react with whatever stain or finish you use.

- Stain on unfinished wood isn’t drying: Checking whether the stain and the wood are compatible will alleviate this from happening. Sometimes the stain itself is the problem. It may have been produced improperly. A wood stripper will remove most stains from most woods. You’ll need a stiff brush to paint the wood stripper onto the wood, and some water and rags to wipe it off. Make sure the wood stripper is made for the wood you’re using. It isn’t a good idea to use a really strong one on pine, for example.

- Repair nicks in softwood floor: unfinished wood isn’t all about furniture. Sometimes floors, walls and ceilings take point. Fixing nicks in softwood floors is a simple matter of sanding them out. You might want to use a random orbit sander as it’s wide girth will help you do a small sanding job.

- Furniture varnish remover: Removing varnish can be done with a wood stripper, too. Just take into account the strength of the varnish vis a vis the strength of the wood stripper.

If finishing furniture is your forte, one of the most important things to consider is what is the best sander to sand unfinished furniture with. If the wood is not sanded properly, the grain can become warped and twisted, ruining the wood. Wood can be sanded improperly via two ways: either the wood is not sanded enough or the wood is sanded too much. Either way offers unique problems, but the most common example is that the wood is sanded too roughly, destroying or damaging the grain. There are other details to take into account when sanding wood but the important thing to keep in mind is the type of sander you buy.

Finishing sanders come in two varieties, block sanders and random orbit sanders. A block sander is exactly what it sounds, a block of sandpaper attached to a motor that imparts it vibration. A random orbit sander is heavier than a block sander. It consists of a large circular spinning block with sandpaper attached. Block sanders provide a better finish that random orbit sanders. Another obvious advantage is that, due to the size of the sander, block sanders can get into corners and nooks that random orbit sanders cannot due to their size. Random orbit sanders also require special sandpaper, unlike block sanders which use standard sandpaper that you can cut into whatever shape you need.

When purchasing a sander consider the following features:

- How fast the sander vibrates. Orbits per minute (OPM) is the most common measurement. Remember, a faster sander sands quicker.

- Some brands offer a variable speed option, which is worth considering if the price is low enough.

-  Do not pay attention to the dust collection system; this probably will not work anyway. If you do want a dust collection system, be sure to buy a sander that comes with a hole punch system so that you can easily punch dust holes in standard sandpaper, rather than having to buy special paper (obviously this only applies to block sanders — orbital sanders require a special kind of sandpaper anyway).

Keep these principles in mind when buying a sander and you will be one happy customer.

Here’s a few things to know about pine furniture:

- It doesn’t respond well to oil-based stains.

- Make sure you either have it waxed regularly or seal it with water-proof varnish, otherwise it may warp.

- the proper term for a lot of pine wood is ‘Deal’. This is a softwood group including pine, larch, fir, hemlock, and spruce.

Pine is well-liked among woodworkers because it is more pliant than hardwoods and therefore easier to work with. Each pine piece has a different look due to contrasting shades of light and dark. The quality of pine can vary; because it is so supple, it’s easy to knots to create holes that render a piece unworkable. The rustic look that the pine adds to a home continues to be popular with consumers despite pine being prone to warping.

Pine being a natural wood, it requires constant maintenance. Because it is a softwood and not a hardwood, it dents and scratches more easily that oak or mahogany does. However, do not fret if your piece has a few nicks, cracks, or shakes – this adds to a pine piece instead of detract from it. Any additional minor damage might actually add character to the piece. Avoid exposing your pine furniture to moisture and extreme temperatures; this will help preserve it.

Usually pine is painted or waxed following the construction of an item. If it was waxed, the natural color of the wood still shows, but it is glazed and shiny, giving it a look that is unique look. If it was painted, the hue of the wood mixes with the color of the paint, and the nearly-rustic charm of the wood remains. But pine still breathes no matter if you wax or paint it, and therefore is still susceptible to heat, humidity, etc.

Unfinished pine furniture, like other unfinished furniture made from softwoods, is dear to the hearts of many carpenters, amateur craftsman, or homeowners who make their own furniture because it is so supple. This makes it easy to carve, shape, and alter to fit your design ideas. Pine works well in any area of the home, bedroom, living room, kitchen, or dining room. Using unfinished pine furniture can accentuate a home that already has a countryside feel to it, especially if you use other softwoods in your home. It’s not uncommon for homeowners to use one of every type of softwood for different rooms, or even different rooms on different floors.

Used correctly, unfinished pine furniture can be an accessory to your home well worth the time and energy you invest in it.