"Eigenvector" wrote in message
...
This is probably more appropriate for the woodworking group, but I'll cast
my line out and see what happens.

The finish on my cabinets is a badly worn varnish. I say varnish because
its a flaky yellowish crystaline substance from the 1960's over plywood.
After removing the varnish from the cabinet boards I notice that the
cabinet isn't a natural wood color so I'm assuming it was stained. My
question is what kind of a finish would be best for wood like this?

It's not like its raw plywood or something, it has a nice hard smooth
finish so being unfamiliar with plywood construction I can only assume its
a hardwood laminate or similar material.

I guess my question is, if I restain it, do I need to apply varnish to
seal or are there better alternatives? What if I like the original color
and simply want to seal/complete the finish from weathering (hands,
kitchen smoke, traffic, etc..)

I'm used to working with linseed oil, I use it to refinish my gunstocks,
but something tells me I don't want something that flammable in the
kitchen.

There are many ways to go. Take some photos and go to a good paint store
and get some recommendations. Things to consider:

1/ cost
2/ durability
3/ ease of preparation and application (can a DIYer get a good result)
4/ smell (some modern finishes are just awful)