Hi guys,

I'm half way through my first refinishing job and need some advice. I have
a nice oak coffee table that had some damage to the finish, so I stripped it
off (just black grain filler and urethane I think) and have it all sanded
down and is ready to stain. It looks like the grain filler is still intact
so I don't think I need that -- I'm just looking to stain and urethane. A
number questions I have:

Is there any further prep work I should do before staining? The last think
I did was sand it down with 220C and is completely naked (except for the
prior grain filler).

Second, what brands should I be looking for for stain? I heard somewhere
that Minwax stuff is sort of general swill and there are better ones out
there.

Third, how many coats of stain and should I be sanding in between coats?

Last, same questions for urethane - Brands? Number of coats? Sanding?

Oh, and one other thing - what's the deal with the all-in-one stain/urethane
mixtures? Are they something to consider or a joke?

Thanks so much,
Nate