Correct interior finish of drawer in glass top coffee table
I am making a coffee table with a glass insert top and a drawer underneath. Sort of a shadow box look but with a drawer. It is for my son’s fiancée who has some rocks from her first Paleontology dig. The drawer is so she can add stuff in the future.
The wood is heart pine with nail holes visible and the drawer bottom is birch plywood.
I plan on using water lox over danish oil for the top, amber shellac on the interior and exterior of the base (worried about smell trapped inside drawer from oil) and then clear shellac over white stain on drawer bottom so her rocks and stuff will standout.
Ok, my problem: Shellac and lacquer darken the drawer bottom. Any suggestions on the drawer bottom as far as stains or sealers is appreciated. Also any other suggestions are appreciated. One thing is that I can use different sealers on table base, top and Drawer (bottom can be different from drawer).
This is a different project for me I that I have never built anything other than a shadow box that you can see into. Making it more difficult is that my wife really likes her future daughter in law that I have never met (thank Covid). So I really can use all the help I can get (g).
Replies
If you want the drawer bottom as light as possible, use water based poly. It will be crystal clear, and add no color to the wood. It sounds like that will leave the color you're looking for.
Another option might be to use a material other than wood for the drawer bottom. I've used a natural cork self stick liner material for interior drawer bottoms and it looks great.
Thanks guys. I am going to give the water based poly a try. If that does not do the trick I can give the cork a try.
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