What top coat to use, help/critique my finish schedule

[Josh LaFrance]

OK, I'm trying to gather up the finish components to finish the changing/table hutch I'm building for my daughter who's due in 2 weeks!

I built the whole thing out of Solid African mahogany.
I'm trying to get it in the same burgundy color range as the cradle my FIL got us from a cabinet factory(Cherry). I'm lucky and have a gallon of the same stain they used on the cradle. It seems to have a lot more solids than Minwax but it's not a gel. Has a heck of a smell to it. I've done some experimenting with the stain and some WB dyes to get a decent color approximation.
So here's what I'm thinking

-Grain Filler?
-WB dye to even out boards
-Stain for color
-Coat of Shellac to seal it. Should I use some Garnet or just a coat or two of seal coat?
-What top coat? Lacquer, some type of Poly (oil, wb?), Water lox? I've only really used poly and shellac before. I tried a can of spray lacquer on a test board and it looked OK but seemed like I'd need 3 or 4 coats before I got a smooth finish. I don't have a lot of time left to experiment. I'm hoping to start finishing this weekend.

I can brush or spray the finish. I've got a good HVLP gun and large air compressor.

Thanks, Josh

[Scott Holmes]

Josh,

So here's what I'm thinking (your list with comments)

-Grain Filler? 4th make sure you add color to the filler before you use it, if you use a paste type filler. I like to make the filler just a tad darker than the wood.
-WB dye to even out boards 1st
-Stain for color 2nd
-Coat of Shellac to seal it. 3rd Should I use some Garnet or just a coat or two of seal coat? your choice do a test board to see which you like better.
-What top coat? Lacquer, some type of Poly (oil, wb?), Waterlox? 5TH Waterlox would be an excellent choice; poly would be a poor choice. I've only really used poly and shellac before. I tried a can of spray lacquer on a test board and it looked OK but seemed like I'd need 3 or 4 coats before I got a smooth finish. Waterlox is much more durable than lacquer in this application.

WATERLOX takes a long time to dry, it is worth the wait. ~30 days before there is no more smell. 1 brush on coat per day.. thin coats are much better than thick coats. Ditto for most other varnishes, (including poly) ~30 days to fully cure.