Restoring Cedar
By IamSteveVanI recently purchased a nice Lane cedar chest on Craigslist and I'd like to restore it to its original cedar finish. The outside has been painted and sealed. I know that cedar contains oils that make it aromatic and might pose a problem but I'm not sure as to the best approach, sanding or stripping. Has anyone else had experience with this before? Thanks!
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thinman
Well, I have worked with wood my whole life. Generally I try to avoid too many refinishing jobs as it is time consuming and laborious no matter how you accomplish it. However, I agree with Maven, the chemical route is generally incredibly messy and potentially dangerous without experience. Sanding, I feel, is nearly almost always better especially if the piece does not have a lot of nooks and detail work (your piece looks fairly flat). Not sure what kind of equipment you have, but save your back and get a decent sander. Take your time and if something isn't quite working, stop and think about why it's not working and what you could use to accomplish the same job with better/easier results. The Cedar will obviously not be as aromatic as it was when it was new, and depending on the age, it may have no noticeable scent left at all. Thanks for you post and Good luck!
sparkie
Keter
DIY Maven
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