Gunther re #63. Suggestion: Whenever you apply water to a piece of wood small wood fibers tend to rise on the surface of the wood. If you sand the wood again with a higher grade of paper (e.g. 220, 400, etc.) before you add your stain or oil the sanding will remove any raised wood fibers. Also, if you want to get an idea of how the wood might appear when stained or oiled, just swipe a few strokes of Acetone (it dissolves quickly) onto the wood and you'll get a pretty good idea of what the finished patina will look like.
