Do your final sanding with 400 grit. Use MinWax polyurathane that you
apply with a cloth. Apply the first coat with a brush. Becareful, it
is very trhin and will run if not careful. Scrap off first coat. You
just filled the pores. Apply a second coat with a cloth. Rub down
with a 3M green pad. Apply a third coat. Apply MinWax furniture wax
with 0000 steel wool. Buff with a sheepskin pad in your DeWalt random
orbital sander. (The pads stick on like the sandpaper.) This is the
process I have been using.

On Tue, 27 Mar 2007 23:57:56 GMT, Phisherman wrote:

I made a Shaker-style utility table with two drawers. It is made from
pine and I turned two birch knobs for it. I used a wood conditioner
and used a honey gel stain--no blotches(!). My question is how to
protect it since it is a softwood. What can be used to make it look
Shaker, yet tough? I will use in a theater room to store remotes and
media. TIA