Archive of the former Yahoo!Groups mailing list: MOTM

As owner of a woodshop, my advise would be to stay away from solid
wood except for trim. If you use solid wood you have to worry about
pieces which are joined together expanding and contracting at
different rates, you have to worry about warpage as well. I'd
suggest using a high quality veneered plywood. You can get cabinet
grade plywood with cherry or mahogony veneer which will finish
beautifully. Buy a few strips of solid wood to use for exposed
edges. Use solid pieces if you are going to have curves or fancy
moldings. For finishing stain if desired first, then use
polyurethane if you are going to brush it on or catalized lacquer if
you are going to spray. If you are going to apply your finish by
hand and using polyurethane, thin it out first and brush it on using
a nylon stocking (wear gloves.) The combination of the thinning and
the stocking will eliminate bubbles. Apply several coats. Wait
until each coat drys but don't wait over 24 hours. Remove
imperfections with very fine steel wool or wet sandpaper.
Alternatively you could use an oil type finish. This is easier to
apply, but can dry out and isn't as resistant to scratching.