CAMBYSES:
I'm, also, right in the middle of refinishing a wooden "lazysusan, tool, thread and etc.", holder for my tying table.
As suggested, Minwax makes a whole assortment of great wood stains. I'm using it on this turntable thing I'm finishing up, right now, in fact! Since the wood I'm using is pretty "light" in color, I wanted the grain to also show through, nicely, so I chose "Ipswich Pine" for a light colored stain.
Before I stain the wood, however, I'll sand it down......starting with 120 fine sandpaper, then 180 and last the 220 grit. The final sand down will be with a wad of "0000" steel wool. I've used this combo on some actual "furniture" I've made for our house, too and the combo of grits, work very well!
By the time I get down to the "0000" steel wool, the wood surface is every bit as smooth as glass!! After the stain dries, I apply the first coat of "Spar Urethane". I really like using this particular finish, because it not only is "water clean up", but it is an outdoor plasticized finish as well.
It "self levels", so applied correctly, there's hardly ever any brush strokes from applying it. It dries VERY fast, so you can get at least 5-6 coats of it, on, in an afternoon or evening. I wait two hours, (but it dries to the touch, in about 45 minutes!), then I sand that coat with the "0000" wool, then apply the next coat and so on, until I have about 6 coats total.
I, also, prefer to use the "foam brushes" far and above, the regular bristle type brushes. They clean up very easily, with water and of course, there's NO CHANCE of brush strokes with the foam!
The "Spar Urethane" comes in "Interior and Exterior", I always use the "exterior", though, because it's a tougher finish. Also, depending on the type finish you're after, it comes in either..."gloss" and "satin".
Lastly, when you open the can, don't be alarmed when all you see "is a can of milk"! It IS, "white" in the can, but dries to a crystal clear, high gloss, finish! (Or, a "satin" finish if that's the one you choose). Have fun!