finish recommends and ideas

[tuneswoodshop]

Hello fellow woodworkers

I am looking for some advice on a picking a finish for my barrister bookcase made with red oak.
The problem is I don't really have a idea on what I want to do to finish it.
I was originally thinking about BLO and then poly or a light shade of shellac then poly or BLO and shellac.
I have applied shellac in the past but struggled getting a good finish because my application method was a brush.
I am not opposed to using other products but I want a finish that looks correct for this type of project.
I am even open to the idea of a light shade of wood stain and then a finish. I  basically looking for ideas that
are easy for a average skilled woodworker that would produce a beautiful finish that is fairly easy to obtain a great finish.
Do you guys have any thoughts?
If I choose a wood stain or BLO as the first coat do I apply it before I assemble the cases?
I loaded a picture from the plan to give you a idea what I am building

Thanks for any input

[Strokes77]

Hello fellow woodworkers

I am looking for some advice on a picking a finish for my barrister bookcase made with red oak.
The problem is I don't really have a idea on what I want to do to finish it.
I was originally thinking about BLO and then poly or a light shade of shellac then poly or BLO and shellac.
I have applied shellac in the past but struggled getting a good finish because my application method was a brush.
I am not opposed to using other products but I want a finish that looks correct for this type of project.
I am even open to the idea of a light shade of wood stain and then a finish. I  basically looking for ideas that
are easy for a average skilled woodworker that would produce a beautiful finish that is fairly easy to obtain a great finish.
Do you guys have any thoughts?
If I choose a wood stain or BLO as the first coat do I apply it before I assemble the cases?
I loaded a picture from the plan to give you a idea what I am building

Thanks for any input

I recently finished a QSWO mission style project.

There are guides to help you achieve a "stickley" type finish.

Basic process is:

Transtint Dye
General Finishes Seal a Cell
General Finishes Gel Stain
General Finishes Arm r Seal

The colors I used got me this:



You should find the guides if you check general finishes website or google.

[jteneyck]

My advise is to avoid blo on oak. Go to Homestead Finishing'S website and read Jeff'S article on Stickley finishing. Use part or all of his process. He uses Arm-R-Seal as the topcoat, and it will give a great and durable finish with nothing more than a rag or paper towel.

John