I have come to the conclusion that a plane till, like a workbench, is one of those "lifetime" projects. By that I mean it is one of those projects you make at least three times, and the last one becomes some mix of a crafty Mt. Everest, and heirloom piece for the next generation(s). Anyway, I am now at the third tier and am stuck in the particular rabbit hole of selecting the wood.

The box itself will be walnut, with some nice burl for the door panels. Like a typical till, the planes will sit vertically on a ramp. I was thinking about making that ramp out of plywood, but then wondered if my as-of-yet unconceived grandchildren would think less of me for it. So I thought about shop-sawn wood veneer. Then, I got to think about what wood to use for the veneer. I like the contrast of ash or oak with walnut. And this got me further down the rabbit hole.

So my questions are:

1. Would a high tannin wood like ash or oak stain the plane soles? They are going to sit there for decades.
2. Should the ramp be finished? My thought is that finished wood could seal in moisture between the plane body and the till. That could be good or bad.
3. If I were to finish the ramp, how about wax? That way there would be a water barrier (or not) and the plane soles would get an automatic waxing.

My current design/function choice is unfinished maple. Has anyone else gone down this particular hole?