# Blanket Chest



## djg (Dec 24, 2009)

I'm planning on making a Colonial style blanket chest that will be used for storing woolen items. The plans call for cedar lining in the bottom only. Is this sufficient to repel moths? I did a quick search and the only chest I found was completely lined with cedar. Is this over kill? I'm in the process of picking up 7/8" surfaced E. Red Cedar and I need to figure how much I'll need. The sides are floating panels in stiles and rails so if the complete inside was covered with cedar it might detract from the look of the chest. Is the bottom enough?


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## CDN_Maple (Dec 19, 2009)

I made a storage chest years ago and lined the whole inner portion of the box with cedar. I do not regret lining the entire chest; it is on the inside and can not be seen. I was going more for practicality and my wife loves the smell of her sweaters.


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## buroak (Mar 25, 2010)

I would think just the bottom would be good. I think it is the odor that repells moth's not the wood itself. A case in point is the use of moth balls.


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## interceptor (Feb 6, 2010)

I just built a captains bed and made the entire drawer bottoms out of E. Red Cedar, agree with the other statements about the cedar oil repelling moths. My mother always got little bags of cedar shavings and put 'em in with my dad's seasonal wool clothing storage, never had a problem with moths and didn't have to endure the darn smell of mothballs.


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## MrHudon (May 5, 2009)

Things sure do smells great when stored with cedar, but making sure the lid seals tight keeps the moths out more then the cedar.


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## FiremanJim (Dec 5, 2009)

*Cedar Lining*

Hi:

I'm also starting a blanket chest (New Yankee Workshop based) and am looking at cedar lining on the top rather than the bottom. Reason is, cedar is soft and if anything hard is dropped into the chest, it will mar the cedar. Less chance of that by lining the top. Chests I have made in the past ended up being used for many things including children's toy boxes, so I'm trying to plan ahead.

Also, I will be using 1/4" thick cedar planks, resawn and planned to thickness. This will reduce weight and save space.

Finally, after some time, cedar can become less effective in repelling moths; a simple quick sanding will solve that by exposing new wood. If the cedar is in the lid, the sanding can be done by covering the bottom with plastic sheeting to avoid dust and the process can be done without emptying the chest.

Good luck


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## djg (Dec 24, 2009)

FiremanJim
Thanks for responding. I too am following "Norm's" plans for a blanket chest, that called for only the bottom to be lined with cedar. I thought about gluing a 1/4 - 3/8" thick cedar boards to the underside of the lid. I was going to slightly bevel the edge to provide a snug fit. I just didn't know how it work gluing two types of wood together, with respect to wood movement. Didn't want one 'layer' to expand faster than the other causing the latter to split. Any ideas or experience anyone. FYI the exterior is to be made out of soft maple so I think both materials would possible move at the same rate. But for future projects, how would ash, oak, or cherry stand up to being laminated to cedar? Or vice versa. I knew I would have to periodically have to sand the cedar, but I never thought about, as you pointed out, how easy it would be to sand the lid. Thanks.


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## FiremanJim (Dec 5, 2009)

*Gluing Cedar*

Hi:

Although I have little direct experience, I've been told that gluing cedar generally doesn't work. It seems that the oils which make cedar so useful as an insect repellent, also cause glue joints to fail.

I will be using curly oak and cherry for the chest and plan to use small brads to attach the cedar. 

Finally, if you let the wood acclimitize in your shop for a few weeks before building, you shouldn't have to worry much about movement after assembly. Unless the chest is to be placed near a heating/air conditioning vent, you shouldn't see much movement after it is instaled. If you leave about a 1/8 - 1/16 gap at the edges, you should be OK.

For more information, try reading the appropriate chapters of this:
http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/products/publications/specific_pub.php?posting_id=17335

Good luck.


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## FiremanJim (Dec 5, 2009)

*Cedar Finish*

From a post in another forum:
"
Oil based finish directly applied to aromatic cedar is not a good choice. The oils in aromatic cedar react to the oils in the finish as the finish will not dry properly. It will remain soft and may crinkle.

If you want to use an oil finish, first apply a coat or two of dewaxed shellac. Another choice is to use a finish that does not react to the cedar. Shellac or solvent lacquer would be good choices. "


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## downrightart (Mar 29, 2010)

*Refinishing a toy box*

**sorry!!! I thought I was posting a new thread!!!**

Jeeze!


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## djg (Dec 24, 2009)

Thanks Jim.
I am not going to finish the cedar lining. Leave it natural so I can periodically sand to rejuvenate the scent. I think I will be putting a 3/8" thick panel on the underside of the lid with a slightly chamfered edge so the cedar will fit snugly inside the outside boards. Make sense? I'm using soft maple so the added weight to the lid will not be overwhelming. I will use a breadboard edge style on the lid's lining. But since it will only be 3/8" thick, I'll use dadoes on the ends of the long boards instead of a tongue and a matching dado in the breadboard edge instead of a grove. Can't explain it any better. The bottom I would still like to edge glue boards together even though I still will have a 1/4" ply sub floor. What about cleaning surfaces with acetone or mineral spirits and the gluing with either gorilla glue or CA glue? Both are organic based and not water based like wood working glues. Just a thought. Anyone have any better ideas or suggestions. Thanks


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## shilohill (Mar 16, 2010)

*Blanket chest*








I have made several blanket chests from Norm Abram's plan.I usually make some variations .I give them to my grandaughters upon graduation from HS Here is the latest made from maple tree from Acme WA that the man that runs a sawmill claims was very old ,claims he counted 100 rings.Very nice grains and colors. Oh yeah,I just lined bottom with aromatic cedar


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## djg (Dec 24, 2009)

Shilohill, very nice, I hope mine will turn out half as nice. As long as you mentioned variations, I was originally thinking about making the stiles (and legs) and rails a little narrower the what the plans called for. It seemed a little too clumsy. But I don't have a sense of style or perspective. Yours look fine to me, did you follow the original dimensions or did you change them? Thanks


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## FiremanJim (Dec 5, 2009)

Shilohill 
very nice, your granddaughter's will surely cherish these!


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## johnv51 (Oct 27, 2008)

When making dressers I use aromatic cedar for the sides and back of the drawers.


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## shilohill (Mar 16, 2010)

DJG;I pretty much used Norms dimensions on this one.One I made earlier ,I didn't extend stiles and made bun feet ,and made raised panels and faced them outward. My work is not real high quality I struggle and sometimes have to make a part over but they turn out looking pretty good .Hope they are passed on to my great grandkids, Thanks for the compliments.


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