Help with staining/treating cabinet

[The Mother Confessor]

Hi all.

I have the opportunity to buy this 8x2x2 tank for a VERY reasonable price. None of the wood is warped, it's all in excellent condition, it's just not going to fit with my decor so I will need to stain it a dark wood colour.

The tank itself is in very good nic when cleaned up and it's the perfect size for my fish long term, and I was looking at getting one new for almost £2000, and this is £300, although it will cost me more with the van hire etc.

The only thing that I'm concerned about is staining the wood. I want it to be water treated as it will probably get wet somehow from time to time, it does tend to happen, and I want it to look good.

Anyone have any recommendations on what I should use to prolong the life of the wood? I don't mind retreating every few years if need be.

Apparently, it was varnished once when it was first built, so I can sand if need be. I'm not sure if varnish or stain is better, and what the best idea would be on a cabinet that has already been varnished.

Here is a pic:



I have solid wood furniture so this will go really well in the room when it's stained, and this is exactly what my partner and I wanted to build if we went down the DIY route.

I should add that I'm in the UK so any products recommended need to be either available here or just general products rather than brands.

Help!! I don't want to pass this up, but I'm scared that I won't be able to treat the wood safely and nicely!

 

[the_deeb]

Looks like a very nicely built pine stand.

If you want to stain it dark I think your best option would be to use a dark gel-stain like General Finishes Java.

Unlike traditional stains these tend to sit on top of the wood rather than penetrating into the wood, so you don't need to remove all of the old finish, which will make your life a lot easier, and will also allow you to keep the waterproofing benefits of the current finish.

Just clean well, lightly sand the old finish (no need to go all the way down to bare wood), and then apply a few coats of gel stain till you get the desired darkness. Top coat with an oil based polyurethane for extra waterproofing.

Good luck.

 

[The Mother Confessor]

Oooh this sounds awesome. We aren't 100% on getting this, because for around £100 more we can custom build a 8x2.5x2 which gives sooooo many more litres. We are staying more towards the custom as can build it exactly how we want! The cabinet would be almost identical, maybe just minus the drawers.

So, if we do DIY it, should I varnish first, or would you recommend a different route?

Thanks for the suggestion, that's an amazing product. I never knew that even existed!