Finishing/staining/varnishing a bookshelf

[bresmith]

Hey all,
picked up an old glass doored bookshelf from work that someone had painted and thought l could fill in a few weekends restoring it. I've stripped off the paint and in the process of sanding and just wondering if l can get some recommendations to finish the job. The shelving is a fairly light hardwood type of wood that l was planning on staining a darkish colour to match my other furniture. The door on the other hand is a rich burgundy redwood that looks fantastic and l don't really want to stain it. So whats the best way to finish this door. Do l varnish it? I've got some clear cabothane gloss there, would that do the job?
Also l was hoping to fill in some nail holes on the redwood door and wondering what's best to use. Will some sawdust mixed with woodworking glue do the job, especially if l don't need to stain?

Thanks in advance.

Brent

[RufflyRustic]

Hi Brent,

Sounds like you've got a winner there.

Timbermate putty comes in a range of colours and is very easy to use in filling small holes.

Check out your local hardware store for that.


The Clear Gloss you have *should* be ok. A qualified should as it's a little hard to guarantee this without seeing it either in person or via pictures (hint hint )

Others here may have further helpful suggestions.

cheers
Wendy

[lesclayton]

Danish oil or Scandinavian oil will give you a nice finish and bring out the grain.

[bresmith]

Thanks for the replies. I'll finish off all my sanding and try to get a couple of photos up for further assessment.

[astrid]

This sounds like a nice old school cupboard,
before you reach for the polyurothane think about 2 coats of shellac and a wax.
I did this on an old pine cupboard and i havent had to rewax or anything 10 years later
shellac is easy to apply witha soft brush, i use a face powder brush, and easy to remove with meths.
If you use polyurothane then its next owner may just chuck it out because nothing else will stick and stripping will be too expensive or time consuming.
think and save a tree.
danish oil is great too, but a sealer coat with shellac helps prevent uneaven absorbtion.

astrid