# Should I use a finish on a cedar chest?



## Purrmaster (Sep 1, 2012)

I'm planning on making a small chest out of aromatic cedar. The traditional cedar chest. After searching the forums I'm seeing conflicting information on what to do with cedar chests.

The question is: should I use any finish at all on it? I want to preserve the cedar scent. And I doubt it's going to get banged up a lot.

On the other hand, I'm uncomfortable with not putting any finish at all on a project. And cedar is fairly soft stuff. I'm assuming that any kind of finish I put on the wood is going to seal up the wood scent. Even if I just do the outside. On the other, other hand I have a mild concern that the cedar scent will be too strong and perhaps objectionable.

So what are your experiences? Is it ok to leave it unfinished? Should I finish just the outside if I do finish it?

If I do use a finish I'm leaning towards using shellac.

Thanks.


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## Handtooler (Jul 24, 2012)

Commercially manufactured chests seem to have a clear varnish applied to the outside only. And many are constructed of other materials and lined with tongue and grove aromatic cedar.


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## bandit571 (Jan 20, 2011)

I have always left the cedar un-finished on the inside of a chest. I have also made one chest out of solid cedar. Three coats of poly, on the outside only.









and the inside









Note: to bring back, or renew to "Cedar" smell, just scruff sand it.


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## Handtooler (Jul 24, 2012)

Beautifully done Bandit!


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## TCCcabinetmaker (Dec 14, 2011)

for wood movement purposes finish the outside, but don't finish the inside as you will lost the cedar smell on clothes. I made a cedar chest and waited five years to finish the outside, big mistake, should have finished the outside a long long time ago.


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

I've always been taught that what you do to one side, you do to the other but my dad made a cedar chest in high school and only finished the outside; 60 years later it hasn't warped or changed.


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## Grandpa (Jan 28, 2011)

I made a cedar chest in high school. I graduated in 1965 so do the math. I believe I built that chest when I was a junior in high school. I was taught to not finish th einside because you lose the smell and the ability to drive moths away. I put boiled linseed oil on the outside. It makes the color come out and it get beautiful in a hurry. Then sanding sealer is was applied over the oil. # coats of laquer was applied over that with sanding between coats. Rubbed the last coat with 0000 steel wool and put on Johnson's paste wax. Looks as good today as it did when it was built. If you don't put on a finish coat the outside will dull in time and not be so attractive. BLO will make the cedar rich in color.


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