obtaining finish with water protection

[Jack cullen]

White pine slab. Customer is looking for that amber finish on unfinished slab pictured. I don't do a lot of pine. Mainly hardwoods. Would straight polyurethane get this amber color, or do I need a step before the finish. It's a table top, so need to protect from spills etc. Thanks in advance for input

[Bill White]

An oil based urethane will yield an amber look. Kinda depends on how far you want to take the color. Do you have a piece that you can sample? Underside of the top for a test?
Bill

[Dennis Peacock]

Marine Spar Varnish will do the trick. It is designed to resist water and has a strong UV inhibitor in it that gives it that amber color. Spar varnish isn't water proof but it will hold up with normal care. My kitchen table was finished over 10 years ago with 4 coats of marine spar varnish and is just not needing refinishing due to daily heavy use over the many years of service.