"Eric Kent" wrote in message
...

I have a display case made of walnut ( I'm pretty sure, may be pecan.)

You need to find out and not wreck a potentially nice piece of wood with a
goofy
stain choice for that particular wood.

I've had it for about 10 years unfinished and it looks a little rough
in places. Not beat up, but where it has gotten wet a few times over
the years and dried.
I have a mini-wax cherry stain that I'd like to put on the wood and
then finish with a polyurethane gloss ( I think the poly satin looks
too much like dull wax.)

The problem is I really suck when using poly. I either put it on too
thin and get areas where I miss or I put on too much and I get areas
of varying thickness. I've tried to let it set up a few days and then
sand, but the sandpaper gets all gummy.

How old is your poly? I've had this problem with very old poly. I have
much improved my results by cutting the poly about 30% with mineral
spirits and applying it with a padded rag. It takes a few coats but with
some
220 wet sanding between (use a wet/dry paper or you will have a mess)
coats.

Maybe it needs a few weeks to
cure, I don't know. I was thinking of using the stain/poly combo. If
all I have to do it brush it on and then wipe it off I don't see how I
can mess that up. Advice/remarks/suggestions?

Personal preference. Most feel that separating the processes allows the
stain to penetrate better and makes a better display of the grain.


Also, I am thinking I should sand the wood first. What grit should I
use? Does it matter if I sand with the grain or not?

Yep, you should do just that. The grit of the paper depends on the
condition
of the wood. If it has a lot of deep scratches in it from machine marks and
handling
you may want to sart with 100 grit, move to 150, 180 - most stop here but I
like to
finish at 220. I use to get into the 300's but found that it was wasted
effort for the
result that I liked. Some processes make good use of highly polished
sanding.

I treated a white pine board with the stain and it came out pretty
light after several applications, but when I tested a small area on
the Walnut, it was pretty dark. Is this common?

Heck yea. They are different woods with different characteristics with
regard
to penetration, hardness and the natural color which all affect the final
result. Always
run a sample of your wood using the intended sanding grits, stain and poly
(or whatever)
to be sure you like what you will finally get.


So, Advice/remarks/suggestions?

Suggestions. Have fun, take your time, go to some of the online woodworking
sites and
read up. Finally, whatever the result just remember, it's a learning
experience and the next
one will be better.

Thanks
Eric