Hey Gothic,

Not an old-timer, per se, but just a thought...

Maybe put a coat of monster mud over the plywood and sand it smooth? That would make the lid look more like stone... or at the very least, not plywood. You could also try embellishing the edges with some trim pieces. Trim isn't terribly expensive, and it can hide a lot of sins.

The crackle finish was a phenomenal idea. It's a real shame it didn't work out. It gives me some ideas to tinker with in the future. :-)

-handy_haunter

__________________
~I'm going to eat your brains and steal your knowledge.