Hi @Elljames,
Thank you for your question about staining and varnishing a table.
The main difference between a combined stain and varnish product and a stain followed by a varnish is the amount of control you have over the finish.
By applying the stain first, you can better control the depth of colour before applying a varnish over the top. This will take a bit longer and mean a little bit more work, but you have much more control over the process. Check out Cabot's 250ml Tint Base Water Based Interior Stain and Cabot's 500ml Satin Water Based Cabothane Clear Polyurethane Timber Varnish as some options.
While a combined product like Cabot's 1L Water Based Stain And Varnish is much simpler to apply, you have less control over the colour as it is combined with the varnish and anything over 3 coats will have very little effect.
The process itself is similar regardless of what you use. Apply 2-3 coats of stain or stain and varnish depending on the colour you're after. Make sure you use a high-quality roller or brush and allow two hours of drying time between coats. Once dry, lightly sand the piece with 240 grit sandpaper and brush off any sawdust that is produced. If you use the all-in-one product, the process stops here, if it is just the stain, you will then apply 2-3 coats of your varnish.
There is no need for any kind of sealer before applying your stain as the varnish will act as the sealer.
Check out How To Restore Wooden Furniture for some further information on a similar project.
Let me know if you have any further questions.
Jacob
