Wood and Stains
I experimented with Oak, Hickory, Cherry, Mahogany and Western Red Cedar (non-aromatic). I settled on the Cedar because it is light and highly prized for wine cabinets. It absorbs moisture and resists rotting. I added the Mahogany as a second alternative but beware that it is nearly twice the weight and is twice the price, so it will cost more to make it and ship it. Here is a picture of the raw Cedar and Mahogany.
Here are the stains I started with, but have decided against them. The water based stains dry too fast (as soon as they leave your brush!) and I did not like the end result. I have left this picture here because I referenced these colors in the video. I put one and two coats of stain on each piece to see how they came out. Unanimously I liked the one coat better, the second coat hid the grain too much.
This is what I will be using, these are Gel stains from General Finishes.
Here are most of the cabinets and racks with a second coat of polyurethane sprayed on.
