Polishing takes the maximum effort, without the project seeming to go anywhere. And TONS of patience. Polishing is like cooking - everyone has their own way of cooking and their own recipe. The formula and method changes with the type of wood as well.
Steps for polishing:
1. Surface Preparation : Start with a good round of sanding to and even out all the imperfections. Fill the visible gaps etc with wood filler before sanding. Apply a layer of NC Sanding Sealer and let it dry. Sand with 220 grit paper after letting the sealer dry for atleast 4 hrs. Repeat another coat of sanding sealer and sanding.
2. Staining : Mix liquid stain with NC Thinner and apply to the sanded surface, repeat coats till you get the desired colour.
3. Varnishing : Apply 1-2 coats of wood polish to lock in the stain/colour.
4. Top Coat : Use a Melamine / other protective coating to protect the underlying layers from water.
Getting into shelf corners was the most difficult part. Better approach for cabinet polish is to get staining done before assembly. Additional coats of polish and melamine could be applied with a spray gun, after the assembly.
The photos are taken without any top coat.
Doors and drawers haf to be disassembled, during polishing, and re-assembled after it was complete.
Shoerack has 2 levels of open shelves for frequently used footwear. Top is being used as a landing station for laundry/mail etc. The drawers hold umbrellas and plastic bags for reuse.
A large old TV unit was parked at the entrance. This was a magnet for all the odd items and was forever messy. The bookshelf, with smaller shelves will improve visibility of the books and be easier to manage. The bookshelf can also be stacked on top of the shoerack.
Material used for this bookshelf was pinewood blockboard, with pinewood veneer on sides. The faces should have been conditioned with linseed oil to give uniform absorption of the colour. Thats for the next project.