Yep, what he said. Get some light grit paper, like 300, so you don’t score the wood. Take the legs off. Rough them up, always going with the grain. Wipe it down and get all of the dust off. Put on the stain, which I suggest Minwax. You can get a small test can of it from Lowes or Walmart for a few bucks.

Light coat, as long as it’s evenly covered, going with the grain. Let that dry for a day. Come back and throw a light coat on the other side. Another day. Go back to the first side, and throw a second coat on, wait a day, do the other side. Wait one more day, then lay polyurethane.

I buy my Minwax gloss by the quart, but if you don’t woodwork much, just get a small can. Gloss is gonna be very shiny, if you’re into that. Satin is slightly less shiny. I love using polyurethane with my woodworking because it really makes the grain and the stain pop.

Now, for the stain and polyurethane, grab a handful of the cheap foam brushes from the paint section of Walmart, over by the rollers. I like using the 2”, as it fits perfectly in those small cans. After you use it, toss it, because the stain/polyurethane is gonna harden up and throw off the coverage.

The polyurethane is simple. Open the can, stir it up really good with a stick, and then start laying it. Sometimes the polyurethane will lift the stain out of the wood, so be light with the brush. Just get it saturated, but not dripping, and let the brush glide over the wood. As long as you’ve got total, even coverage, you’re fine. Get it onto a spot that’s level-ish. Given the curve, I’d say get a couple of boxes side by side, a few inches apart, and let it nestle in between. Let that sit overnight, checking it from time to time for the first hour or two, and lightly dabbing away any beads that might have runoff. Do the other side the next day.

Between coat one and coat two of polyurethane, you’ll notice little tiny air bubbles that have formed while the polyurethane was curing, and made the surface a bit rough. Grab your 300 sandpaper, and very lightly, scuff up the polyurethane until it’s all lightly scuffed and smooth. Clean the dust off. Put on the second coat.

Now that the first coat of polyurethane is acting as a barrier between the stain and the second coat, you can go a little heavier, make multiple passes, etc., as long as you don’t put it on so heavy as to get runs. When it dries, it should have a smooth as glass feel to it.

Long, yes, but easy and satisfying.