This is what I think I've learned from my research:

• pine sucks to stain because it is soft and porous

• finishing can and might be best done after assembly

• shellac requires hella more coats than polyurethane?

So my plan right now is to put the nightstand together, pick up some finish and then wait until they stop calling for rain, and finish it. Then go over it with steel wool. I still have some questions:

1. shellac or poly? I will probably go for water-based if I choose poly

2. brush or rag? if brush, bristles or foam?

3. any brands you'd recommend to buy or avoid? I am looking at possibly picking up Zinsser if it's shellac

4. how big of a can should I buy? for reference, this is what I'm finishing. I'm in Canada so can measurements are in mL btw and I don't know what a quart is.

5. I saw many people saying to condition before staining, but what if I'm not staining? will it be an issue if I just finish, no sanding or pre-anything?

6. sorry this is so many questions, but I saw one poster say to smooth out poly finish with steel wool. Can/should this be done for shellac?

Thank you so much for reading!!