first cedar chest questions

[sherri reynolds]

This will be my first time making a cedar chest and working with aromatic cedar. I have a couple of questions. the first one is after I get finish putting it all together I want to sand it so I can get the pretty colors to show and then seal it that way what kind of seal would you use.

[Yonak Hawkins]

Sherri, if it's the wood on the inside of the chest you want to preserve the color of, no problem, with no regular light coming in, it will keep it's color virtually forever. If you're talking about wood on the outside, unfortunately, there's no good way to preserve the color short of keeping it inside a closet or in the darkest corner. There are UV inhibitor finishes but even they don't last all that long. ..But they will tend to prolong the fading.

[Kent A Bathurst]

Aromatic cedar is a really soft wood. I'd be interested on how the structural joinery holds up.

All of the chests I have seen, including the couple I built, were made of other species, and lined with aromatic cedar. I made shiplap sections, and installed with small screws, so it can be pulled and sanded [to refresh the surface, and release the aroma again] after some years.

I agree with Yonak - you cannot stop UV. Nothing can [except paint, of course]. YOu can definitely slow it down, keeping it out of direct sunlight. But you cannot stop it.

EDIT: Sherri - Welcome. This is a pretty nice crowd. Glad to have you in the mix.

[sherri reynolds]

I am use 3/4 thick aromatic cedar so I will let you know how it holds up and thanks for the welcome just to ask what species would you use and were do you get good woodworking projects plans

[lowell holmes]

I made a chest for my daughter. It was cherry and lined with cedar.

The cherry will last for a long time.

We have an old Lane cedar chest, made of cedar. It has copper straps around it to hold it together. The straps are held in place with copper nails. The chest would come apart without the straps.

Check the link below.

http://www.vahistorical.org/collecti...ne-cedar-chest

[Bob Vavricka]

I have made several cedar chest using aromatic cedar for the bottom and back with the rest made of cherry or walnut. You still get the cedar smell inside. I liked having more of a furniture look on the outside. You could still line the inside front and sides if you wanted--I dont.

[Lee Schierer]

My Father made four cedar chests over 39 years ago from solid aromatic red cedar. The glue joints and joinery have held up just fine on all of them. The bottom is set in a dado in the solid wood sides and ends. The corners of the chest are splined miters. The outside was finished in Deft Clear Wood Finish, the inside is unfinished. He used regular yellow carpenters glue for all the joints. I know all four of them are in continual use. My mother has a cedar chest that is also solid cedar from when she was a young woman (she is now in her 80's) and it is still structurally sound.

Aromatic cedar used to be used to make solid wood chests. However, good quality material became hard to find so manufacturers (Lane in particular) decided to reduce costs and increase diversity of their product by introducing chests with thin inner layers of cedar and a different outside wood so their products could appeal to more people and design schemes by offering walnut, oak, cherry and other hardwood exteriors while still having the cedar properties inside.

You can certainly make your chests from solid wood, put a good quality finish on the exterior surfaces and you will see the color contrasts for many years. If you can locate enough 3/4 thick quality cedar to make the complete chest, I recommend that you go for it. Cedar is easy to work and will make your shop aromatic for months. Let us know how it turns out.

[sherri reynolds]

My Father made four cedar chests over 39 years ago from solid aromatic red cedar. The glue joints and joinery have held up just fine on all of them. The bottom is set in a dado in the solid wood sides and ends. The corners of the chest are splined miters. The outside was finished in Deft Clear Wood Finish, the inside is unfinished. He used regular yellow carpenters glue for all the joints. I know all four of them are in continual use. My mother has a cedar chest that is also solid cedar from when she was a young woman (she is now in her 80's) and it is still structurally sound.

Aromatic cedar used to be used to make solid wood chests. However, good quality material became hard to find so manufacturers (Lane in particular) decided to reduce costs and increase diversity of their product by introducing chests with thin inner layers of cedar and a different outside wood so their products could appeal to more people and design schemes by offering walnut, oak, cherry and other hardwood exteriors while still having the cedar properties inside.

You can certainly make your chests from solid wood, put a good quality finish on the exterior surfaces and you will see the color contrasts for many years. If you can locate enough 3/4 thick quality cedar to make the complete chest, I recommend that you go for it. Cedar is easy to work and will make your shop aromatic for months. Let us know how it turns out.

ok so next question is after I get it all together do I have to plane it again to get the colors to come out or can I just sand it and also what grade sand paper would you use on it thanks for the help it feels good to be back in the hobby I love

[Dennis Ford]

I have made some from solid cedar; planed the wood before assembly and sanded afterwards with no issues. I will warn you that some oil based finishes do not dry well on cedar, they also darken the color quite a bit (test on scraps before you apply to a finished piece). Lacquer or water based finishes change the color very little (color will fade later with UV exposure).

[eugene thomas]

Thinking no matter how ya get to end will be sanding. The pop will come after ya put on the finish.

[Yonak Hawkins]

Don't seal or finish the inside if you want to maintain that great cedar aroma in there. Leave it bare.

[Kent A Bathurst]

I am use 3/4 thick aromatic cedar so I will let you know how it holds up and thanks for the welcome just to ask what species would you use and were do you get good woodworking projects plans

Mine was frame-and-panel. The frame was made from walnut with a long history in my family. The panels were QS sycamore.

Any more, I make up my own designs/plans. I have many of the Craftsman series books by Bob Lang. I used those carefully when I started. But now - I might thumb through them for some ideas on general style, or to see options on a particular piece of joinery.

[Lee Schierer]

ok so next question is after I get it all together do I have to plane it again to get the colors to come out or can I just sand it and also what grade sand paper would you use on it thanks for the help it feels good to be back in the hobby I love

If you exercise care when gluing up the boards to make panels you shouldn't need to plane the glue ups. You can scrape the glue squeeze out about 30-40 minutes after you clamp it and get most of the little beads and runs off. A little sanding with 150 or 180 grit to remove the glue and any slight mismatch followed by sanding with 220 grit should do the trick. Once you have the chest assembled a light sanding with 220 grit will remove any remaining glue and fingerprints from working on it.

I use a brushable lacquer finish, such as Deft Clear Wood Finish, on most of the furniture I make. Lacquer has really strong fumes so apply it and let it dry where you have good ventilation.