finish on cedar

[bentcajungirl]

I am thinking of making a tv/entertainment center out of a large cedar robe. It has the typical shiny finish on it. Should I strip it off, or sand it for retention. I am thinking I want to paint the cedar robe a "fashionable" color rather than leaving it with a natural wood look. Do some paints do better on cedar than others? Oil based vs latex, etc. Thanks. Perry

[Young Carpenter]

Help me out Perry, What is a Cedar robe? A Wardrobe? And are you talking red aromatic or white cedar. I just did a project out of white cedar. Painting Aromatic cedar is almost as sacrilegious as painting Cherry.

[V.E. Dorn]

I have great luck with Danish Oil on Cedar.

Don

[Blue]

Yep. Oil is fine, but as someone said, paint on nice cedar is sacrilege.

[bentcajungirl]

I agree that cedar is the sacred cow. However, I have so many of these cedar wardrobes, they are really common around here. Nice but prolific. Just wondering if anyone had ventured to the forbidden land of another finish. I had made one in to an entertainment center at my other house, and it worked so well, thinking of doing it again, but with a different finish. Oh well. Perry

[Tchswoods]

I think it depends what cedar we are discussing. In the North East many of the "clapboards" used for house siding from the colonial era to the advent of aluminum and vinyl were white cedar. They have almost all been painted, though the "pearl gray" natural look common at the seashore is common near the ocean.

I have used Danish oil on interior western red cedar with good results.

I have used lacquer on interior eastern aromatic red cedar with also good results. (My kitchen is white oak frame with aromatic red cedar closet lining panels: finished with brushing lacquer. I think it looks good, and it's original!)

[Mike Hide]

Stupid me ,I though the bugs hated the aroma of cedar, thats why it is used in closets wardrobes etc unfinished . Immediately you paint or finish it haven't you got rid of that attribute....mjh

[Young Carpenter]

Don't worry mike, You are still correct. However usually the inside is left raw to allow for the scent to be dispersed, however the outside is often covered in Danish Oil, shellac, etc. to create a protective cover. It also turns the smell inwards, otherwise your room would always smell of cedar, which believe me would get old after a few weeks. I have recently seen a chest with Walnut Veneer on the external sides.