Finishing sapele handrail...

[JEFF JOHNSON]

Having Stair posts, balusters and rails installed tomorrow...
Just dove into hvlp finishing... by purchasing a Asturo r200 which has a 1/2gallon pressure pot... worked great with my pancake compressor... sprayed ben moore 100% acrylic in White dove all the balusters and posts.. drilled holes in 2x4 and stuck balusters in... Definately a learning curve... but finished product looks great.. had so much fun spraying... was sad when it was over.  Anyway....
After they install.. theres a guy who wants 600$ to finish the handrail..
The handrail is sapele... I want it stained dark... I know most of you don't like to stain wood.. but I stained mahogany decking for my mudroom project with minwax dark walnut.. and then used water based poly in gloss.. looks great..
Anyway... guy said he would tape everything off...sand the rail... apply stain... then apply layers of laquer... then wax..

If I were to do this myself...
Tell me if I am on the right track..

Sand... What grit should I finish with?
apply stain... I'm going to test dark walnut to see if it comes close to my bench seat... (in member projects.. mudroom)
do I then sand after staining?
Should I just use a wipe on poly?
Or should I spray a laquer...
What do you think of buying krylon clear lacquer cans...
do I sand between coats of laquer...
Want a really smooth polished finish..
guy at the stair place says he uses minwax paste wax with 0000 steel wool..

Any help would be appreciated..

 

[CharlesWilson]

After staining, you are going to have to fill in the grain with something to level the surface. If you sand before you get a good enough build, some of the stain will be sanded off, and you know what that looks like.

I have recently done some work with sapele, and have used several coats of shellac before sanding smooth, and applying topcoats.

Charles

 

[JEFF JOHNSON]

so sand... stain... then what product to fill the grain with?