Finishing the inside of boxes

[DaveO]

I am working on a small cedar chest 14" x 8" x 9" and really like the cedar smell to the inside of the box. I will probably finish the outside of the box with Waterlox S/F, but I am torn as to what to do with the inside. Obviously if I put any finish in there it will be shellac, but I rather do nothing at all. But if I do nothing am I going to run into a problem with the equilibrium of the wood having only one side finished??? Keeping the box looking good is more important than the inside cedar smell because it isn't large enough to keep clothes in.

Dave

[rbdoby]

I have a cedar wardrobe and a cedar chest made in the 40's with no finish on the inside. No problems with either. Eastern red cedar is one of the few woods you do not have to let dry. You can use it straight from the sawmill. If you have ever sawn down a cedar tree you will see why. The wood is very dry, almost no sap at all.

[DaveO]

Thanks for the information

rbdoby are those pieces solid cedar. I have seen many "cedar chests" that are hardwood on the outside with a cedar lining? Just curious.

Dave

[Steve D]

I built a humidor with Spanish cedar on the inside - no finish, no worries mon

[Mountaincraft]

If anyone steals this, I'm in trouble.

First, the problem. To reap the benefits of cedar, the finish cannot block the transfer of cedar stuff through the finish. There is alot more going on than just cedar oil. Actually, shellac will seal the *&^% out of cedar; it just isn't as durable as others. Any finish that is funtionably durable will seal in the good stuff. Any finish at all will slow it down, and possibly be damaged by the cedar. If you want the effect of raw cedar, no finish will work. Cedar is special because it outgasses.

My trick....

5 parts pure carnuba (not "contains carnuba") It is intimidating.
1 part purified beeswax (not "same")
enough naptha to make a thick paste. Say 1/4 part.

It takes an enormous amount of mixing (try adding the naptha to the carnuba first) but basicly; we are making a special paste wax. Adding a little japan dryer will help speed the cedar outgassing, but it will not shorten the drying time or add to durability; and it will make this wax very toxic for chewing critters such as small kids and pets. So don't do it, just wanted to give options.

Pre damp (not soak) the cedar with naptha prior to adding the first coat of wax. After the naptha goes away, heat it in. Stuff that that liquifies in heat will flow towards the heat, so heat the backside to soak in the wax. A heat gun works great, if you have the safety touch. Think saturating foamed metal with solder.

These problems are:
Naptha vapor pressure is high enough to sustain combustion (flash fire), so ventilate and wait before heating.
Cedar warps with heat, so do both sides and wait for temperature to settle. Tune with heat. The wax will cause an equilization. Wax both sides if necessary
Too much naptha will remove the outer layer of the cedar stuff.

This is unbelievably labor intensive and dangerous, but it does work. The cedar stuff will flow at a reduced rate that will last (to my guess) an order of magnitude (say 10 times) longer.

I have scarf drawers and tie racks to claim. So much for so little....

[Mtnman]

Dave,
If your chest is cedar lined you will not have a problem. I have had one for years and the only problem I have had is that it has lost it's cedar smell. I discovered that you can buy aromatic cedar oil and apply it to the inside cedar to restore that wonderful aroma. Maybe this will help you decide what will work best for you.

[rbdoby]

DaveO,

Both pieces made of 3/4" solid cedar boards edge glued together. The wardrobe was stored in my mother's basement for 30 years and all the glue joints fell apart. I rebuilt it using biscuits and Titebond II. Finished it with tung oil.

[mshel]

I have heard, not tried, that if you scuff sand old cedar, it will start to smell again. And if you have sanded it, you will know wheather this works or not. If you haven't, give it a try. Won't hurt to sand it prior to any kind of finishing so nothing lost. If it works, let me know. If I had some cedar, I would try it myself.

Mike

[Travis Porter]

I have done that and got the smell back. It was stock that I had planed but never used for a year or so. Didn't have to sand it a lot either as I was just cleaning it up. I have had a tendence to make it into drawer sides and backs for drawers in furniture.

[William Bender]

Has anyone suggested just taking a few cedar chips and placing them loose inside? You can leave the inside unfinished and it will be just fine. But if you want the smell and a smooth sealed finish just finish it like the outside and make yourself a sliding oversized match box, which you can decorate the heck out of, if you feel like going to all this trouble, and put some cedar chips in it, you will have the same affect for bug prevention if you change out the cedar or keep releasing the oils, and you don't have to worry about the inside being rough or unfinished. Other than making a cricket box/matchstick box or what not you could just drop some chips in and be done with it. Just my two cents.


William

[Handturnedbowls]

Thanks for that tip William, that is really smart. A porous finish that allows the wood to breath as well.

cad