Synopsis: You don’t have to be a finisher to create a durable, beautiful finish. This method is simple, using user friendly Waterlox, a wiping varnish. The trick is to fill the pores and build it up to a uniform thickness by brushing on several coats, then sanding on and wiping off a few coats at the end. After the finish has cured for several weeks, you can rub it out to a professional-looking sheen.

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When Fine Woodworking’s editor, Mike Pekovich, asked me to write about the finishing process I used on a recent cherry chest of drawers, I told him I wasn’t a finisher and didn’t know much at all about the process. He answered, “Yes, that’s the point. You are not a finisher, but you got a result that looks great, is durable, and, most importantly, is completely doable for most people.”

Like he…