Reddit mentions of Denali 30-Piece Bar Clamp Assortment

Clamps, give that man some nice K body clamps. http://www.amazon.com/Denali-30-Piece-Bar-Clamp-Assortment/dp/B000NDMO94/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1415313885&sr=8-3&keywords=denali+clamps I have these denali clamps and they work great for the price.

So, I don't know if they'll become available again but I bought these for something like $50:

http://www.amazon.com/Denali-30-Piece-Bar-Clamp-Assortment/dp/B000NDMO94/ref=sr_1_cc_2?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1418708154&sr=1-2-catcorr&keywords=denali+30+piece+bar+clamp

and I actually find myself using them more than I do my quick clamps.

I bought these from a suggestion here and they have been great so far. They are not great quality but it is a lot of clamps for a good price and they are better than the HF ones (I own a few of those as well)

I do a combination of hand and random orbit sanding when I need to sand. I try to get surfaces as smooth as I can with a smoothing plane and card scrapers so I don't have to sand much, but sometimes it's unavoidable.

As for bar clamps, I got this set from Amazon for $120 a couple years ago. I've supplemented those with others from Harbor Freight.
http://smile.amazon.com/Denali-30-Piece-Bar-Clamp-Assortment/dp/B000NDMO94/ref=sr_1_cc_2?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1419722120&sr=1-2-catcorr

As for decent lumber, check your local Craigslist or equivalent for sawmills and lumberyards in your area. Don't buy from the BORG or Rockler/Woodcraft as they'll assrape you without lube. I've had good luck with auctions and yard sales too.

On the two occasions I've used stain, I used General Finishes oil based. Seemed to work well. I try to use woods that are the color I want to begin with. The most I usually do is use something like linseed or tung oil that darkens the wood a bit.