Cedar Chest

[Tom Grice]

So, I'm putting the finishing touches on an Arts and Crafts blanket chest I built, and have a request from my wife to make it a cedar chest.

Now, I've never worked aromatic cedar but I bought some "closet liner" cedar tongue and groove from HD. It was a far cry from being straight and true, but it finally worked and I covered the bottom of the chest - about 19x39.

So - my questions..... (1) Is that enough cedar lining to do what it needs to do? (smell and keep the moths away) The chest is about 24" deep.

2) Are there any special finishing techniques? I'm assuming I don't want to seal it, so had planned on leaving it natural. But I also wanted to check since it would be bad for any remaining sap to come out on blankets, etc. The wood does have some knots, etc.

Thanks!

[Jim Rimmer]

I put some in a blanket chest for my daughter. You are so right about the quality - not a straight piece in the box.

I built a real cedar chest 30+ years ago and never put anything on the inside. If you seal it you'll loose the smell. Maybe just seal the knots. Otherwise, nothing to worry about getting on ther clothes.

[ken gibbs]

I have made them from short pieces of Eastern Red Cedar logs and I have used the cedar closet liner stock you used.

The biggest problem is the cedar is not straight so you have to spend some time cutting the warp out of the stock. I have used closet liner cedar as a veneer on top of 1/2 C/X plywood on the inside oand on the outside of the chest. You have to figure out a way to glue the cedar to the inside of the chest using cauls because the salt in the cedar does not glue easily.

I sand out the cedar to remove some of the surface salts. But you DO NOT fiinish the inside of the trunk or you will not get the cedar scent to bug proof blankets. Use stock eurathane on the outside and its beautiful.

[Joe Leigh]

To answer the original question, in my opinion, yes. I've made several hope chests and I always line the bottom with tongue and groove aromatic cedar. Not a single moth hole yet. And it smells great everytime you open it.
Do not attempt to seal it. In fact, if the cedar has been laying around for a while you can touch the boards up lightly with some fine sandpaper to "rejuvinate" it.

[Jim FInn]

I make Trunks and vases of aromatic cedar and find that it glues up just fine and I only finish the outside. I buy 1" rough cedar and resaw it to 1/2" to make these. The trunk is 24" long and the vase is 23" tall.

[Sam Yerardi]

Tom,

Rough sand the tongue & groove cedar because more than likely it has oxidized a bit. It will be a bright & beautiful purple/red color when sanded. It eventually will turn brown. When it gets to that stage, sand again. No sealer ever....