I am about to inherit some blue stained pine. I am to "make something out of it". It is what I call "story wood" that carries as much history with it more than being some high quality piece of wood.  I will make some sort of box that is not to be used heavily or often in hopes of protecting it. 

 

I've read some older posts on other sites about blue stained pine. I thought I would see if there are any new thoughts about working with it:

.  What might I do to harden pine so it doesn't scratch or dent quite as easily?

.   What might I do to finish it such that it doesn't ruin the natural blue coloring?

 

Maybe there is a single answer to both questions.  

 

Robert

1. Sort of soaking in CA glue (perhaps) I am not sure there is much you can do to pine to make it not dent.   I always suggest to people if you are making or buying something of pine, get is physically distressed.   If you see two dents in a piece of pine furniture they will stand out.  If you get two more dents in a piece with physical distressing they just blend in.

2. Waterborne finishes typically add the least color.  In fact, some even have a bit of bluish tint.  Another choice is CAB lacquer that has what is generally referred to as "water white" i.e., no ambering color.   It is a bit more flexible (and thus less likely to chip with small dents).  https://www.finewoodworking.com/2005/09/13/all-about-lacquers

Test out a few finishes on some scraps.