[cbush]

You are right- not a finish, just a stain.

I looked it up, and the spec sheet on it said that soft woods such as pine, fir, and maple require a wood conditioner. "Use Varathane Premium Wood Conditioner before staining".

I have no idea what that is, and how it would effect the staining process though. The other advice on the spec sheet was that "For a deeper color, allow the stain to set for 1 hour before wiping, or apply additional coats of stain."

Hope that helps- that is the extent of my limited knowledge on staining!