Furniture, Wood and Cabinetry Finishing - New Maple Doors - Any Staining Advice for a Novice?

I've tried searching the boards, as I'm sure this must have been discussed before.... but, I came up empty.

I have a new set of maple exterior french doors that I've just had installed and I need to stain them (I'll be staining the interior side of them). Now - I have NEVER stained anything before and I'd really hate to screw up my new doors.... so, forgive me if my questions are somewhat basic.

First, do I need to even get a stain, or should I just polyurethane over the bare wood (since I already like the look of the plain maple)? If I do want to go with a stain, do you have any recommendations as to the type (I've seen "gel" and others)? Should I use polyurethane or would one of the other oils be better since it's not getting the same kind of use as a table (I'd prefer a less shiny look to the door)? Does anyone know of any good step-by-step "how to" web sites?

Well, beyond that, I'm not even smart enough to know what questions to ask... If anyone has any general advice, I'd appreciate that as well.

Any help or input will be appreciated.

Thanks!
Moez

to have an idea as to what your wood will look like with a clear finish,
wipe a small amount of paint thinner on an area. if you like what you see,
then apply the finish of your choice, and skip the stain.

remember that poly will add an amber colour with each coat.
varathane is water based and clear, no colour.

varathane is available in "outdoors' and "indoors".
choose the one that is recommended for your situation.

varathane will dry and be recoatable within an hour , where
poly will take hours to recoat.

Hi Moez,

If you haven't already, read the thread:http://forum.doityourself.com/showthread.php?t=231146

Much of what's discussed there will also apply to staining and finishing your doors.

The only thing I would add is that if you like the color of the natural wood, skip the Wood Conditioner and apply a "natural" color stain, which is basically just a clear penetrating oil finish. You'll want plenty of rags to wipe off the excess stain.

Additionally, you will probably want to mask off the glass of your door. You can buy masking triangles for the corners of your divided lights, and use masking tape and masking paper for the rest. (If you have divided lites).

Thanks a lot to both of you! Next weekend will be my big test....