Mahogany Vanity Finish

A long time ago my dad recommended using Minwax's Wipe-On Poly, mainly because it eliminated the worry of brush marks. But for this project I figured I was ready for something more ambitious. I picked up a copy of Bob Flexner's Understanding Wood Finishing book in search of a better finish. I convinced myself I wanted to fill the pores of my mahogany with colored paste wood filler to bring out the grain and provide a smooth finish, give it a wash coat, then brush on a polyurethane finish. But after experimenting on some scraps with the paste wood filler I quickly bought a bottle of good old Minwax Wipe-On Poly and gave up most everything Flexner had taught me. Oh well. I'm definitely an amateur.

As easy as Minwax makes it, I still hate finishing. In order to protect the mahogany from the bathroom's wet environment, I wiped on seven coats, including sanding with 220 grit between the first three coats. The first three sanding sessions were aimed at filling the pores with the wipe-on poly. Flexner said this would work. I sanded the final coat down to 1500 grit using mineral spirits to keep the polyurethane from clogging the fine paper. I guess it worked. Man do I hate finishing. What are you doing this weekend, Eric? Sanding and varnishing...again!