seems like wat ever paint you use (or 'covering) its all about the right mix with the thinners and how many coat's required...and a touch of skill in aplication..

heres a 'ruff' job i did some 20 plus years ago, this stock was out in the weather for 2 years, by weather i mean straight line rain, ice..snow...baking hot sun you name it..midnight freezing fogs the works, day night 24/7... then left for years here there and every,including sheds and garages that leaked.

http://img239.imageshack.us/img239/9...80stocklh0.jpg

its no supa job, but lets face it its a piece of beech lol..

two pots, one of stain (two thin coats) one of yaught varnish again 2 coats of just the right amount of thinners..
the motif was all the range back then, you'd pay anything from 80 quid up to the hundreds (a weeks wages or more).. some undercoat, black gloss and white gloss, the smidgens out of an old past it can..

i'd luv to get the sable brush's...and french polish something..bin a while but still in the head

wow how deep a glean..