I have just completed the building stage of the Classic Cherry Bed from
Plansnow.com. Because of cost and stock availability, I substituted Red
Alder in place of Cherry. I am quite happy with how this project has come
together, thus far, and I am now looking for advice on finishing.

First of all, finishing isn't one of my talents. Typically, I stay away
from stains and any finish that requires skill, patience or technique. My
preference has been to use tongue oils and similar applications that
basically are fool proof and yield pleasing results.

For this project, however, I want to stain the Red Alder to more resemble
the Cherry wood that was called for in the plans. I also want to apply a
durable finish as this project is intended for my 9-year-old's bedroom. I
am looking for recommendations on technique and products to achieve this
result. Any guidance would be much appreciated.


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With regards from the Rudson Family