Drawer Finishing Ideas

[gary Zimmel]

I need help in figuring out on how to finish these drawers.

They are hand cut and will go into a coffee table that is just about done.
The table has already been stained and topcoated with hand wiped poly.
I would like to keep the sides of the drawers as light as possible to show off the dovetails but the fronts, which are QSWO, will be dark.
Can I try and poly the sides (birch sides) before I stain the front or use a conditioner and stain the whole drawer, tape the thing and hope nothing bleeds onto the wrong piece ???
Any help or suggestions would be welcomed.

[Steve Schoene]

I would not use any oil based finished on drawer parts--odor can linger for what seems like forever. If I used any finish at all it would be shellac, or a sprayed on waterborne acyrlic. My preference is to use a clear finish on the sides, with the fronts being stained just around the corner so you don't see a brighter line when the drawers are closed. The clear finish on the end grain will provide enough contrast to make the dovetails standout.

Very nice looking dovetails, especially given that they are birch into oak.

[Mark Singer]

I have used Briwax and buffed it. Thats it, The draws slide well!