Carpentry and Woodworking - Steam radiators wood cover

I want to build some wood covers for my old bulgy ungly ironcast radiators and I have a few questions.

1-I would prefer to use oak; is this good or some other type is better
2-What is the finishing process. I want to stain it but before what should I do, use sealant, primer or what else?
3-After staining, I should I use, polyurethant or what else.

Thank you so much

Oak is a good wood for most all furniture pieces. I think that it is a good choice for a radiator cover.

Stain and finish would be straightforward. Follow the directions on the containers, but it is just a matter of apply the stain, wipe, and let dry. The finish is much the same way. I don't know how much heat is involved in a radiator and how finishes in general would perform around the heat. We don't have things of that nature down here in the South.

Perhaps someone could address the matter of heat from the radiator and how it affects finishes.

I work at a university where steam heat is the standard in a lot of dorm rooms. The wooden sills remotely close to the radiators really takes a beating from the dry heat. To get creative (and this is a personal choice) I would use cypress. It's tempered to take extreme heat and cold without drying as fast as other woods. The beauty of the wood in the raw is amazing without having to stain it. I would not use urethane as this is a very hard finish once dry. I would use linseed oil to give the wood some "wiggle room". It will let you know when it's time to re-apply the oil. This will keep it from dry cracking or checking. Be generous and patient.