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The goal is to finish a handmade box (slightly curved top and bottom) with hinged lid covered with stamps. Without getting into the yak shaving of stamp adhesives, is there a material that can be used to coat the project over top of the stamp paper that will preserve the paper?

Ideas have included shellac, fiberglass (clear, without the mat), epoxy and water-based Polyurethane. Ideally, I'd like to have something that could sit on the shelf (with occasional interaction) for years without seriously falling apart. There should be no exposure to water (e.g. condensation from a glass or otherwise) nor heat (e.g. hot mug), but there might be sunlight hitting the location daily.

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  • "yak shaving" ? hanselman.com/blog/… No yaks were harmed in the making of this comment.
    – Alaska Man
    Commented Apr 14, 2020 at 20:15
  • @AlaskaMan Yes, but with the intended meaning of "not getting off into the weeds".
    – user3.1415927
    Commented Apr 14, 2020 at 20:16
  • ANY liquid coating will change the color of the paper stamps (it will make them look as if they were wet). You don't mention the shape of the project, but if it's flat why don't you just screw or glue down a sheet of high quality plexiglass (or actual glass) that has a UV blocker? This would totally save the stamps.
    – Jimmy Fix-it
    Commented Apr 14, 2020 at 23:19
  • @jimmy Added that it is a box with lid. A non-adherent substance won't allow the box to open and close. (I basically want to coat it with the finish.)
    – user3.1415927
    Commented Apr 14, 2020 at 23:30

2 Answers 2

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Epoxy.

I looked for, but could not find, a link to the special electrical fibre glass- it's aluminum oxide instead of silicon dioxide, made in a finer grid, and is practically transparent when soaked and placed on the surface. It's also used for boats/canoes and shows the would perfectly. It is not, however, 100% optically clear so would obscure fine detail.

If you want perfectly clear you'll want one of those countertop type epoxy, and there are plenty of videos on that out there.

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  • Would the epoxy flow along the piece, like paint? Or would there have to be a mold to hold the shape?
    – user3.1415927
    Commented Apr 14, 2020 at 20:09
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My dad used to make clocks and belt buckles with paper images on them. He sealed them with either spray or brush on polyurethane, which has held up to wear, water, and moderate heat & cold for decades. Regular polyurethane yellows over the years, especially with UV exposure, which you may enjoy.

Spar urethane is very similar to polyurethane but supposedly stays clear and is said to be more tolerant of temperature swings. I'd like to tell you more but I haven't been able to conduct long term testing to verify.

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