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Thread: Odiferous Drawers

  1. #1
    Join Date
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    Odiferous Drawers

    A kitchen island I built recently has a couple inset drawers that were completed and installed about 3 months ago. I used General Finishes' Arm-R-Seal wiped on and I like the results very much. It took me a little longer to finish the island but the results were worth it to me. I didn't have to contend with runs, sags, excess build up, etc. and the finish came out really smooth and without a plastic look which is what I wanted. Now I want to use the same system for 7 drawers in the master bedroom closet. The drawers will have approximately an inch gap between them so they won't be closed tightly like the drawers in the kitchen island but the closet will be closed.

    The kitchen island drawers have a strong vapor odor when I open them and I don't want an odor problem in the clothes closet.

    I talked to General Finishes about the odor and they recommended I place charcoal briquettes (in a bowl) or newspaper in the drawers for 2 or 3 weeks (I think) to remove the odor. That I am doing now. When I searched this topic to see what others have to say about it, several people say do not use this type finish in closed cabinets due to lingering odor.

    I am holding off finishing the 7 drawers for the clothes closet until I decide what to do.

    I am wondering if there is another wipe-on finish that you like and is odor free in a short time. I don't want to wait weeks or months after finishing the drawers before placing them in the closet. I don't have much storage space in the shop to hold them and I don't think I should place them in the closed closet even with charcoal or newspapers in them because it will still take significant time and, in the mean time, I don't want our clothes to be affected or have to smell the odor every time we enter the closet.

  2. #2
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    I always use shellac on drawer boxes for enclosed spaces.
    "A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".


    – Samuel Butler

  3. #3
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    As said, shellac. Easy to wipe on, what odor it has is pleasant, and it soon disappears.

    John

  4. #4
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    Same as Glenn and John. If I want a more durable finish I use a GF High Performance which has no lingering odor

  5. #5
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    Shellac or a waterborne, shellac being my first choice.

  6. #6
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    The reason has already been made clear. Since these are already finished, overcoat them with shellac or waterborne to seal in the off-gassing as best as you can.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  7. #7
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    Conrad, which waterborne varnish are you thinking of that works well as a wipe-on? I had been told by sales person that oil based was what I should use for wipe-on finish.

    I have some shellac but it is old and I may need to get new before trying shellac finish. I have only tried shellac once and it wasn't a good experience.

    This morning I watched a video by Peter Gedrys on using shellac. He made it look easy if not complicated. By complicated, I am thinking special application pad with special cheesecloth inside a special linen cloth that is bunched together just so and then pounded just so before it is dipped in shellac and then held just right before redipping again and testing. Then special strokes depending on if it is first coat or later coats with each having a certain amount of pressure or touch. I think the elongated figure 8 stroke was for final coat but not sure.

    The wipe-on I am familiar with is to wipe on with a foam brush and then wipe off with clean cloth. Nothing special, just apply and wipe off. Only special technique is I thin first coat for better penetration.

    It seems there should be a wipe-on varnish that doesn't off gas for a long time.

  8. #8
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    Sorry Bob, but I spray most of my stuff. I have brushed shellac on many occasions without problem. Shellac dries so quickly that you can brush all the surfaces lying flat. Start on one surface of the drawer set and continue with each one. By the time you get to the end, you can go back to the first and rotate the next face flat and continue till all are complete. There is a technique to brushing shellac, move quickly, don't over brush and don't overload the brush.
    I have also had good success brushing Target EM2000, but it takes longer to set before you can rotate the surface.

    I think your best bet would be to use SealCoat shellac. It is also available in rattle cans if you want to spray, although I think that brushing would be better if the drawers are large. You may want to consider finishing the drawer bottom and sides before attaching the drawer bottom.

    If you use shellac you can sand lightly with 400 grit paper after finishing and all the tiny fabric grabbing nibs will be eliminated and you will have a silky smooth finish.

  9. #9
    How many drawers are you doing?

    Spraying shellac is the easiest way to apply it. If you don't mind spending a little extra $$ and don't have access to spray equipment, you can get rattlecans of shellac @ BORG. 1 can will do several drawers. You don't need a built up film; I usually spray the insides with a coat, then lightly sand, then one more sealing coat.

  10. #10
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    Prashun is correct and you can get Zinsser shellac in a spray bomb can...pull the drawers, remove the hardware/fronts as applicable, spray the boxes with the shellac to seal and then reinstall. Honestly, even though I do spray finishes, I sometimes use the rattle can...it can be the right choice for a small job because it's fast and doesn't require the gun cleaning, etc.

    The retailer wasn't "incorrect" about wipe on finish...oil based is the best option for that. But Oil Based is a "no-no" for anything interior on a cabinet. Water borne finishes can be brushed, however, and that's easy for things like drawers for the future if you do not have spraying capability.
    Last edited by Jim Becker; 09-12-2016 at 9:18 AM.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  11. #11
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    I have 7 drawers 36" wide, 6" high, and 16" deep. They are inset although there is vertical space of about 1" between the drawers plus a hand hold cut-out. I am thinking maybe it would be ok to use wipe-on for the exterior front face surface and then spray the remainder with shellac using the rattle cans or sprayer. Since the drawers are in a large walk in closet that has a door, I am thinking that I can leave the door open while the face of the drawers off gasses without affecting clothes. I can also set the forced air heating fan to cycle on every once in a while for a 10 minutes or so to clear the closet air if necessary until the off gassing quits. I assume it will eventually quit.

    I have an MVLP spray system but would need to do outside in the driveway. Maybe that would be ok and fast.

    I wonder about using two different finishes on same drawer. A transition between finishes might not be good idea. Could you look at the attached photo of a drawer and give your thought about using 2 finishes? I like the wipe-on finish and am willing to do extra work to have it on the exposed surface. The cabinet the drawers mount in was hung on the wall about a year ago and is fully cured.

    Thank you for the advise and help on this.
    closet drawer.jpg

  12. #12
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    Bob, are you using a wipe on finish for a particular reason? Just that in a closet, it may take a long time for the odor to dissipate, even on the outside - not good when clothes are involved. As you have a spray system, if you used waterborne you could spray inside? Some of the waterbornes are also tinted to look like a varnished finish. You could use the same finish on all surfaces, spray it one day and be installing the next

  13. #13
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    Shellac pretty much sticks to "anything" so you'll have no adhesion issues with it going over your wiped on oil based varnish. That property is one of the reasons that de-waxed shellac is quite often used as a barrier coat between dissimilar finishing steps.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  14. #14
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    Thank you everyone.

    I am going to try shellac.

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