I have been making some tables and other things that include some lovely grain in birch that a local man mills.
Here is a picture of some tables I made at Christmas, so you can see the grain I am talking about.
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The breadboard end is what I have been calling "tiger's-eye" birch, though there might very well be a proper name, if anyone knows it.
My question is about the finish. So far I have used a marine spar varnish, which seems to bring that unique grain out very well. The water-based finishes I've tried have not been as good at highlighting that nice feature. On the other hand, the varnish yellows with time. (These tables matched a larger coffee table I made several years ago, and when placed side-by-side the effect was pronounced).
Is there a finish anyone could recommend that would make the grain pop, but not yellow with time?