giving a pine floor the "aged" look.

Try one of the oldest (and cheapest) ways to stain pine.
Use a weak solution of potassium permanganate applied with a sponge.
I found it went blotchy when I first used it so I dampened the wood first with a sponge then applied the pot perm.
Using a very weak solution allows you to increase the colour slowly.
Keep away from any flames as potassium permanganate KMnO4 is very high in oxygen.
Its the oxygen that makes the wood look aged the same as when aged naturally.
I made some cupboard handles out of pine for a corner TV unit I had made.
By adding the pot perm until the colour looked right I matched the handles to a couple of teak pieces in the room.
Thats how they used to stain floors a century ago.
N.B. wear rubber gloves or the oxydation will make your hands darker than the floors.
It doesnt wash off but has to wear off over a week or so.
I bought 1 oz at the chemists years ago for cleaning algae out of fish tanks.
I've only had to use a small part of the bottle to do that and stain pine wall cladding plus a number of coffee tables and have enough to last years.
Its so cheap that you can try it on some spare wood to see if you like the colour build up then try a normal wood dye if you dont like it.
The solution should be a light purple and the colour change is almost instant.
If you want the floor to be very dark, use a stronger solution.
For small jobs I use a couple of small crystals in a jam jar and throw most away after use.

 

mix a slury of cement and wipe over the floor with a sponge when dry brush of the floor will all be the same colour then wax.
WB

 

Use washing soda rather than caustic (less risk of burns). Apply with lint free cloth etc. When you've finished (and it does provide a nice 'golden' tone), you should neutralise the surface with vinegar. Allow to dry then seal.

On a more general note, I wouldn't bother applying this technique to your floor. If the boards are old, no matter how light they appear when sanded, they will look distinctly red once sealed (try wetting one and you'll see). Noet that even new pine floorboards go reddish within two or three years.

 

why not let handyman talk to it for half an hour

 

You'll find that oil-based varnish (polyurethane) will give pine that mellow-orangey colour, whereas water-based (quick-drying) tends to leave the wood relatively unchanged.

In any case, the pine will darken considerably by itself in a surprisingly short time