Zack Dettmore shares practical tips for transforming rough, commodity plywood into a polished surface suitable for furniture. He walks through proper sanding techniques using progressive grits, explains the importance of not skipping steps, and demonstrates how to soften edges using both a sander and a router. After sanding, he applies a wipe-on polyurethane finish, emphasizing grain direction and the value of tack cloths for dust removal. Zack also discusses how oil-based finishes affect color and how multiple coats with light sanding in between lead to a smooth, durable result.