Around the knots and other (pitch pockets, etc.) areas in cedar, the wood is different densities and will never all accept the stain equally.

Thanks, is there any way to minimize the difference? We feel like we’ve seen knotted siding that doesn’t have the noticeable difference we are seeing.

Not that I am aware of.

Have you tried dabbing the light spots with additional stain?

Or even a slightly darker shade?

The spots do look related to the orbital saw…?

We tried doing another coat on one, but maybe just doing those spots is a better idea.
The thin we didn’t sand at all, we wants to see what happened. Definitely some of the spots that aren’t on a knot might be from sanding

Also depending on your climate and exposure…this outdoor siding color will be affected …in some cases…drastically?…hopefully to a more consistent color…gray maybe?