Unique design challenge - help needed

[Phil S]

I have accepted an assignment to create a special retirement gift - well actually just the wooden display base that will hold an old machine gun. My role is to design and create the wooden pedestal approx 5" x 23" x 1.5", the 1.5 dim could be more or less
The pedestal must have a pullout drawer or a hatch that will hide a couple of special coins - Drawer/hatch will need an inside dim of 4 x 6 x 1/2

All of this is easy except this gift is for an expert in spy tradecraft and the drawer/hatch should require a secret to open
Remember this secret opening is for an expert in spy tradecraft.

And of course I need to deliver this within the next 30 days - part of which I will be out of the country.

Any suggestions??

 

[Mike Davis]

I am thinking about two magnets and a spring…
the magnets would be used to slide embedded steel rods that lock the drawer.

 

[Dee2]

You are needing this to be secret, yes?

 

[JNCarr]

I agree with Mike Davis. Suggest you make 2 drawers. The "secret" draw doesnt open till the second drawer is opened to a defined location. I'm working on a humidor for my son with a similar, but more complicated, concept. Let me know if you'd like the design.

 

[Mark Johnson]

I have accepted an assignment to create a special retirement gift - well actually just the wooden display base that will hold an old machine gun. My role is to design and create the wooden pedestal approx 5" x 23" x 1.5", the 1.5 dim could be more or less
The pedestal must have a pullout drawer or a hatch that will hide a couple of special coins - Drawer/hatch will need an inside dim of 4 x 6 x 1/2

All of this is easy except this gift is for an expert in spy tradecraft and the drawer/hatch should require a secret to open
Remember this secret opening is for an expert in spy tradecraft.

And of course I need to deliver this within the next 30 days - part of which I will be out of the country.

Any suggestions??

Here is an off the wall type thought that perhaps will generate some better ideas. Deception is certainly part of spy tradecraft.
1. Inlay 6 + of the finger print readers on old computers in a geometric pattern on the base. The idea is that this might be a numbered key pad type thing, but the geometry needs to appear to be important. Also discretely locate a dot or an accent or something on just one side of the box, again, purely for deception.
2. Use a Japanese puzzle box technique to have two sides slide out slightly revealing a tiny rod that must be pulled out ( only visible after the second move). This does nothing except expose the rod.
3. At a location on the top have an "ornament" that is held in place by a fairly strong magnet. When the ornament is removed, a hole, which the rod previously found fits, is exposed. Placing the rod in the hole pushes a wooden drawer latch that will open your compartment. This latch is a type of wooden spring and normally does not leave a lot of play in anything giving the hiding place away.
4. It would be nice to hide a micro dot somewhere, but you probably can't really come up with one of those.

 

[JohnnyR]

You are needing this to be secret, yes?