Redoing an Old Cedar Blanket Chest

[Andrew Kertesz]

that I picked up for free that looked like it had good bones. Upon looking inside it appears to be an old Lane solid cedar blanket based on the name on the hinges. I have a couple of questions before getting in to deep. While the outside is finished the inside is not but the aroma of cedar is gone. Will sanding the inside bring the aroma back? The original finish needs to be removed and replaced. If I take alcohol to the finish and it dissolves it does that tell whether it is lacquer or shellac? Or could it be either? Thanks for any info...

[Jim Rimmer]

Sanding will restore the cedar smell. I always get confused on the shellac/lacquer test because I don't do it enough to remember so I looked it up: http://www.woodmagazine.com/materials-guide/finishes/what-finish-is-that-anyway/
alcohol will cause shellac to get soft. If it doesn't, try lacquer thinner. If it softens enough to almost flow it is lacquer; if it's tacky it could be a water-borne finish. Start with the alcohol and then try the lacquer thinner if needed.

[Roy Harding]

I make a lot of cedar chests.

While Jim is right about sanding restoring the cedar smell - that restoration will probably only be temporary. If you want the cedar smell to persist (which is what is usually wanted), you need to line the bottom (and the sides, if you want - but it isn't necessary) with AROMATIC Cedar (also known as Tennessee Cedar). It is extremely rare that a whole chest would be constructed of aromatic cedar (I've never heard of it, but there's LOTS of stuff I've never heard of). Most cedar chests, mine included, are constructed of red cedar, finished both inside and out with whatever finish you're going to use, and then the bottom is lined with aromatic cedar. You can get aromatic cedar from the Borg - it's sold as "closet liner", comes in packages of approximately 50 sq ft, and is tongue and grooved for application on closet walls. Simply line the bottom of your chest with this, run some trim around the bottom (I use quarter round cut from the same cedar I made the chest with), and you're done.

Alcohol will dissolve shellac. If the current finish is shellac, you can quickly revive it by giving a light sanding (to remove the years of dirt and grime), and then simply apply new shellac. The alcohol in the new shellac will dissolve the existing coat of shellac, and you'll have a beautiful new finish on your chest. I finish the interiors of my chests, although this was not always done "back in the day" - I do it simply for aesthetics, and so that any blankets or clothing stored in there is protected from snagging on unfinished wood, and so on.

Best of luck with your project.

[Jim Rimmer]

Roy, you're right on the aromatic cedar. I just assumed that's what was in the chest. I haven't seen a Lane chest in a long time but I think they were lined with aromatic cedar.

[Andrew Kertesz]

Thanks for the info. This chest is definitely not lined and there is no indication it ever was, it is solid wood top, bottom and sides. Based on the small casters I'm going to guess maybe the 40's sometime although I really don't have a clue. It has a single key double catch lock on it, naturally the keys weren't in it when I found it. The finish is pretty beat and for best results I'm thinking should be completely removed and redone from scratch.

[Jim Matthews]

As a contrarian, allow me to offer some cheapo solutions to this retrofit;

Aromatic cedar "pucks" are commonly available at hardware stores, they're donut shaped to fit over a hanger loop.
A few of those will perfume the closed chest. Alternately, Aromatic Cedar oil (http://www.amazon.com/Oil-Cedar-Wood-8-Oz/dp/B0037MHSTE/ref=pd_sim_sbs_lg_2) (which is expensive) can be applied - but it flashes off quickly and can transfer to clothes.

It works, but a little goes a long way.

I'm not a fan of sanding cedar in a box, you'll generate lots of dust in a confined space that you're bent over.
Cedar dust is one of the few woods that really irritates my sinuses, and many of us are sensitive to it.

If you do sand it, you'll have a rough surface in contact with clothes that will cause snags.
If you sand it with a fine grit, you don't raise enough surface area to release that nice Cedar smell.

I'm with RH on this one - drop in a couple fresh boards and concentrate on refinishing the outside.
The lining is better left alone, if it's already smooth.

[Lee Schierer]

I'm not a fan of sanding cedar in a box, you'll generate lots of dust in a confined space that you're bent over.
Cedar dust is one of the few woods that really irritates my sinuses, and many of us are sensitive to it.

So wear a good dust mask (not one of the 59 cent disposable ones) and connect your sander to a shop vac while sanding.


If you do sand it, you'll have a rough surface in contact with clothes that will cause snags.
If you sand it with a fine grit, you don't raise enough surface area to release that nice Cedar smell.

Not true, if you sand the inside with 150 grit and work down to 220 grit you will not have any snags on even the finest clothes. Most likely the original finish was only sanded to 220 grit.


I'm with RH on this one - drop in a couple fresh boards and concentrate on refinishing the outside.
The lining is better left alone, if it's already smooth.

Re-sanding a solid cedar chest (which was very common 50 years ago and older and Lane typically lined their non-cedar chests with solid cedar 1/4"- 1/2" thick) will restore the cedar smell for many many years. If the smell eventually fades you can always sand it a second, third or fourth time to restore the smell. If the wood is even 1/2" thick it can be sanded a long time before you remove enough wood to be a problem from a structural standpoint.

My wife's cedar chest, the two that belong to my sisters and the one belonging to my mother are all made of solid cedar. I have sanded at least one other one to restore the smell with great success.

[Andrew Kertesz]

This is solid cedar at 3/4" thick all around. It was never lined at least no indication by glue lines, nail or screw holes. At one time I know if you said you had a Lane chest you were saying something. The small casters are wooden wheels which could be from any time period. It is actually a pretty plain chest with just a bullnose moulding around the front and sides, top and bottom.

[Jim Matthews]

From the OP - "This chest is definitely not lined and there is no indication it ever was, it is solid wood top, bottom and sides."

If sanding is done by hand, the amount of dust generated might be manageable by a HEPA filter, but otherwise will generate
particles smaller than most dust masks can capture, and also release terpenes in the heated oil that makes the smell.

Neither should be breathed in a confined space.

Just because something was once common practice doesn't make it the best practice today.

If this is done by hand, it will be laborious and marginally effective.
It might also induce other problems that could be avoided by applying Cedar Oil with a rag.

If the cedar in this blanket box is anything like the Cedar of the box I revived in the 1990s, the latewood rings will be very hard
in comparison to the remaining, softer earlywood and the resulting surface will remain rough.

But what do I know? I'm just a schmuck that's already done this once (and that was one time too many).

[Mark Blatter]

I did one about ten years ago. It was given to my grandmother about 1954 and still had the original heavy duty poster advertizement on the under side of the lid. My mother gave it to me in pretty beat up shape, so I refinished it and gave it to my oldest daughter. It was my daughter's choice to get that one or a new one I made. Since her great grandmother babysat her when she was about a year old, it was a real connection for her.

The inside had aromatic cedar for a lining on all four sides, which I had to lightly sand to open the pores. It worked well and still produces a reasonable amount of aroma. The outside was a walnut veneer that was OK, though I had to replace the front side. Unlike many cedar chests this one had two drawers on one side in addition to the main storage area.