Finish for pine corner cabinet.

[Paul Fornasier]

Hi everyone. Haven't posted for a while. I will be refinishing a corner cabinet very soon, and wanted some advice for a good finish.
I built the cabinet about 13 years ago, from ponderosa pine / knotty pine. I originally stained it, with early American stain, but did not apply a protective finish.
I will be sanding it all down, applying the same stain, and am looking for a finish that will look natural and be satin gloss...at the very most.
My experience with finishes is limited...mostly to oil based poly / varnish.
I've never used anything like tung oil, Danish oil, or similar.

I'll post a few pics of the cabinet, and was wondering if people might have some finish ideas to recommend. I'm looking for a professional finish....but with a natural look.
I'm definitely leaning towards oil, for the warmth it brings, as well as the depth of colour it brings out. Not interested at all in the generally plastic look of water based finishes.

[Bennett Ostroff]

Paul - You could use Watco Danish oil or Minwax Antique Oil (both oil/varnish blends) which will leave a very natural/matte look and feel. It won't change the color much once you've stained the wood. But these finishes don't build a protective film since you wipe away all the excess. And with a stain on there, the color may come off if it gets scratched since there's only a thin layer of oil protecting it. The antique oil might be a better bet since it is a little heavier on the varnish than the Watco.

For more protection, IMO your two best options are a wiping varnish (especially with all the vertical surfaces), or a rattle can spray lacquer. I like Deft 'clear wood finish.' You'll probably need a couple cans. If it were me I'd do 2-3 coats of Minwax wipe-on poly, satin. More protective than lacquer and no nasty lacquer fumes. Interesting in hearing other recommendations.

[Paul Fornasier]

Thanks Bennett. Appreciate the suggestions. I'm not a fan of Minwax....although I do use their stains occasionally. Regardless, your suggestions are easily tranferable to other brands.
Ya, I was wary of a brush on poly, for exactly the reason you probably allude to....the fact that it can run on vertical surfaces. I do have the General Finishes Arm-R-Seal Wipe on Poly....which is always a possibility.
I would certainly be wary about a scratch that could penetrate to the level of the stain. Like I said, I'm unfamiliar with the alternatives to using poly / varnish. In addition, the colours in this wood are really beautiful,
when freshly stained, so I want to find a way to maintain that beauty with a nice finish. Unless presented with a better alternative, I could go with the Arm-R-Seal gloss poly...and then rub it down to satin....or with some layers of gloss and few layers of satin.
The staining part is probably a bit of a determining factor, I'd imagine, as some of the more natural finishes are probably not very amenable to applying over stain.

[Bennett Ostroff]

I can't speak to Arm-R-Seal for vertical surfaces but I imagine it's fine. Sounds like that's the way to go. Gloss or satin would both look good, but using satin will be way easier than rubbing out all those surfaces. Just keep the satin mixed well.

[Paul Fornasier]

Ya, you're right....lol. I wasn't thinking straight about that part. There are also 2 drawers and 2 doors to do. The rubbing out would drive me nuts, if I had to do it.