# Sealing cedar



## moe (Oct 2, 2010)

I bought 2 bedroom dressers and night stands. The drawer interiors-front, back, sides and bottom are cedar. The smell of the cedar is too strong for the bedroom. The store where I bought sprayed 3 coats of lacquer saying it should eliminate the odor. It did not. 
What would be the best thing to do to eliminate the cedar smell? A coat of primer and paint or possibly brush on shellac?


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## junkhound (Nov 6, 2009)

Welcome to the forum Moe. I build some cedar furniture and use polyurethane, it covers all of the smell.

junkhound


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## moe (Oct 2, 2010)

Can you tell me how you apply it and how many coats should it take to cover the smell?


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

moe said:


> I bought 2 bedroom dressers and night stands. *The drawer interiors-front, back, sides and bottom are cedar*. The smell of the cedar is too strong for the bedroom. The store where I bought sprayed 3 coats of lacquer saying it should eliminate the odor. It did not.
> What would be the best thing to do to eliminate the cedar smell? A coat of primer and paint or possibly brush on shellac?



*WELCOME TO THE FORUM*

You state the drawers *interiors* are Cedar. Does that mean the whole drawer is Cedar, or that the interiors are lined with Cedar. Aeromatic Cedar will eventually over a period of time air out and become less aeromatic. Even when the wood gets to the point of having little or no odor, some people are still sensitive.

If the whole drawer is made of the wood, finishing just the inside will not take care of the odor. Using a primer, paint, or oil base polyurethane may counter the Cedar odor because they have an odor themselves which will remain for months, maybe longer. Integral odors like Cedar, and oil base finishes will permeate the surrounding casework. This may be what you are smelling.

Since the interior casework is a much larger area, the smell has some help with a wider dispersion. Usually, applying lacquer, waterbase polyurethane, or shellac will seal the area. I wouldn't use oil base finishes. Do the drawers look like they have 3 coats of lacquer like the store said they do?












 





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## moe (Oct 2, 2010)

I should clarify. The drawer box is made completely of whole pieces of cedar, not laminated. The front of the drawer which you see when looking at the dressers from the outside is cherry wood and is attached to the drawer box, tacked and probably glued. Drawer handles are attached with threaded screws from the inside of the drawer box.

I cannot tell if there are 3 coats of lacquer. There is at least 1 coat for sure. 

I did not mean to say I would only treat the interior of the box. I realize I would have to treat all exposed surfaces of the cedar. I would have to forgo the front of the box attached to the cherry wood for obvious reasons. Maybe the cedar odor would still be smelled from this surface even after effectively treating all other surfaces???

If I am going to do anything I will try brushing on polyurethane. Do I apply it directly over the lacquer???


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

moe said:


> surfaces???
> 
> If I am going to do anything I will try brushing on polyurethane. Do I apply it directly over the lacquer???



An oil base polyurethane will carry its own odor for a long time. I wouldn't recommend using it. If anything, use lacquer, or dewaxed shellac, or a waterbase polyurethane. These film finishes will have an odor of their own until it fully dries and airs out. They won't be as pungent as the Cedar.












 





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## sketel (Sep 15, 2010)

Drawer fronts are usually not glued on. They may be screwed or stapled from the inside of the box and then the bolts for the pulls give added support. If they are screwed on and you end up taking them off, be sure to use a screwdriver rather than a screwgun when putting them back on to avoid stripping out the holes.


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