I followed the plan, and used plain pine wood. The wood cost $106 at my local Home Depot. The Kreg R3 Jr. Jig, Clamp and Screws I already had from a previous project. This is a weekend project. Biggest obstacle here is to make sure the shelves stay level. After it was built I sanded everything with 180 grit before going to the staining step.
Stain... I made a pot of STRONG Tetly Black Tea and painted the entire table. I decided to go with this Oxidizing Stain (http://www.sweetpickinsfurniture.com/2011/01/how-to-weather-new-wood.ht…) for the wood. The Black Tea increases the tannins in the wood, which makes a stronger reaction in the woodgrain after you apply the oxidizing solution. After the solution dried I sanded lightly with 180 grit again and now it's ready for Wipe-On Poly to be applied.
Just one small hint.. The Oxidizing Solution takes a few days to react, so plan accordingly. I let mine set for 7 days before use.
