xshub is not interested in investing in a sander, bc this isn’t likely to be something we take up in our retirement, so i am sticking with the hand method. The cheapest sander i saw was $40 or so, and bc the bookshelf was free from the street, i’d like to keep the cost of materials low! we carted it home with the back of my Highlander ajar bc it would have entailed removing the carseat to get the second row down to fit it in properly and that sucker was far too difficult to get in there right to mess with taking it out for this purpose. so we drove slowly and i thought ok, if it crashed out of the back onto the highwaY, it WAS free!
For a kid’s room, be sure to get a smooth white glossy finish then - it will be easier to clean urps, burps, and oopsies. Chocolate, unknown brown stuff, crayons, dirt, sneezes, and all of that.
A white semi-gloss or satin is not going to clean up as easy. Be water washable - you’re not looking at the fancy lacquers or oil-based stains and or antique living room furniture that soaks up water and gets cup ring stains on it. If a solid smooth white, a water washup (latex) is best and easiest to clean tools and brushes and hands and fingers too.