When I think coffee table enclosure, I think glass at least on the front and top, if not on more of the sides. So that said, I'd go with flex watt. I'm building some enclosures right now that I used 3/4 ply (cabinet grade) to frame it with, and maple for the face and doors. I'm staining everything, the inside is getting a coat of West Systems 2 part epoxy, and the outside is getting a standard cabinet shop lacquer treatment (one coat of sealer, two coats of lacquer). With boa's, you'd probably want to go with something extra water proof... but I'm not a boa guy...



If you are going to go the all glass route, I'd be sure and use a hardwood. That way you have the strength to support all the glass, as well as minimizing any expansion/contraction problems since you won't have as much material as a typical "shell" design.



Another thought (just typing them as the come) is to have it open from the top. It seems like that might be the best idea if the coffee table is going to sit rather low. I would imagine you could do this pretty easily with hinges on the inside, maybe a recessed catch or latch (I'm thinking about keeping it flat on the top).



Hope this helps. Take pics, and update us.



~Johnny

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