Lining Cherry Chest with Aromatic Red Cedar

[Bob McBreen]

Building a blanket chest that needs to be lined aromatic red cedar. The chest 44"x20"x19" and material is 3/4". I have never used this wood before and looking for any tips about thickness and how best to attach to the cherry. My plan is to have the cedar run in the same orientation as the cherry.

Thanks for your help - Bob

[glenn bradley]

I used 1/4" panels milled similar to a typical cabinet back. 1/4" can be delicate for T&G. I went with 1/8" x 3/8" lap joints with and 1/8" gap.

[Malcolm McLeod]

Building a blanket chest that needs to be lined aromatic red cedar. ...

I've built 2 and made only the bottom out of 3/4 cedar. I do it - even in this partial coverage - because I think people (and myself) like the smell and tradition. (Looks good too, until users fill it.)

I've also read references that moth-proofing via cedar is a myth (I suspect this will result in a electron brawl here), so I've not lost any sleep over my leaving treasured keepsakes semi-naked to attack by moths.

Maybe we need a moth poll? Is it the smell or the taste that repels you?

Never tried full lining, and don't know the differential expansion between the 2 wood types, but if the resulting differential is more than ~1/8" across the grain, I'd probably use no glue, but rather fixed SS screws thru the cedar at the top edge, then slot the cedar and screw it in at the bottom as well. Cut a ~3/16" rabbet on the bottom edge of the cedar panels and a matching 1/4" dado in the bottom panel - the side panel can then expand down into the bottom - leaving no gap for the evil-chewers.

[Richard Coers]

I buy the 5/16" cedar tongue and groove closet lining boards from the box store and pin it to the cherry. No glue

[Mike Henderson]

I made a blanket chest out of aromatic cedar and put mahogany veneer on the outside. I veneered the cedar after I rough cut the cedar. After that, it was just normal joinery.

Think about how you're going to hinge the top. I found some friction hinges at Rockler that worked very well. It's nice not to use standard hinges both for the danger of the top falling on a child, or even the noise if a child is not involved.

Mike

[John K Jordan]

Building a blanket chest that needs to be lined aromatic red cedar. The chest 44"x20"x19" and material is 3/4". I have never used this wood before and looking for any tips about thickness and how best to attach to the cherry. My plan is to have the cedar run in the same orientation as the cherry.

Thanks for your help - Bob

Options are many. Dry cedar is easily glued.

If making this for yourself keep in mind the nice cedar smell will fade with time. It can be restored with some cedar oil or easier, occasionally put some fresh pieces of cedar wood in the bottom.

JKJ

[Jim Becker]

I buy the 5/16" cedar tongue and groove closet lining boards from the box store and pin it to the cherry. No glue
^^ This is exactly what I would do for this particular type of project...

[Bob McBreen]

Thanks for all of the great suggestions. I already purchased the cedar so will have to save the box store wood for another time.

[Bob McBreen]

I made a blanket chest out of aromatic cedar and put mahogany veneer on the outside. I veneered the cedar after I rough cut the cedar. After that, it was just normal joinery.

Think about how you're going to hinge the top. I found some friction hinges at Rockler that worked very well. It's nice not to use standard hinges both for the danger of the top falling on a child, or even the noise if a child is not involved.

Mike

I also use the torsion hinges from Rockler. Expensive, but very good.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

I have observed that thin closet lining looses its smell in about 10 years. 3/4 cedar still smells like cedar after 50+ years. The chest my dad made is solid cedar. it is closer to 70 years old. It still smells good inside. He was careful to use only red heartwood.

[Bob McBreen]

I usually give all of my cutoffs to my neighbor to burn in his wood stove. Should I include the cedar scraps? The smell is pretty impressive.

[stevo wis]

I have lined several chests with the 5/16 closet liner. It works great and the leftovers are fabulous for cedar planked salmon.
Stevo

[Warren Lake]

this was in the basement of my parents home. Pretty sure my mothers father would have made it. 3/4 thick for sure or more. Likely shellac on the outside and unfinished on the inside.

473513

[Mel Fulks]

A most vigorous piece ! It takes a “confident cabinet “ to wear those
pajamas! I bet it roams around at night !

[Warren Lake]

Inside I found a seal coat remodelled by a top place with some sort of other fur collar and another fur coat. Things my mom bought likely 60-70 years ago whenever it was. Take a lot of Hootspa for someone to go out in those and they would not win an popularity contests

[Thomas Pender]

One thing to keep in mind. If you can, hand plane the cedar liner if you have a dust collector with a filter. Using my planer, etc., with cedar on a big chest really messed up my Oneida Dust Gorilla Filter - cedar has a bunch of oil in it and the rest you can imagine.