Steve, I've attached a picture of one of your patterns. It's a little rough but I'm new to this cutting of wood. This is pine of course and I was wondering what you might suggest for finishing it with stain or what. Thanks for your videos, patterns, etc. I don't know how you do it except you must love doing it. Your generosity is appreciated.Thanks for the email Dave and the kind words. Actually pine is one of the most difficult woods to finish. Pine varies in density so much that stains soak in unevenly and cause a blotchy look.
If you choose to use stain you should use a wood conditioner first. The conditioner soaks into the softer wood and helps prevent the stain from penetrating that area as well.
Make sure you buy the stain and conditioner from the same manufacturer. They are designed to work together. Really soak the wood with the conditioner. Apply the stain while the wood is still damp. Be prepared for several hours drying time.
I almost never stain pine because I don't like the finished look.
There are a couple other options that I use. Occasionally I will paint the project made from pine. If you want the project to look like wood you can use a diluted acrylic paint as a color stain.This works okay but you need to practice to get the amount water/paint to get the look you want.
Another option I sometimes use is to just dip the project in lemon oil. This slightly darkens the pine and I think it looks fine. I will then add protection to the wood with a spray lacquer.
The picture you sent of the basketball pattern looks fine. The more you practice the cleaner your projects will get.