Cedar finish for bathroom item

[Chrisgiraffe]

Hi, I've built a small project out of aromatic cedar for use in the bathroom. The item is small but will be exposed to random water splashes/drops daily. I like the idea of keeping the scent (leaving it unfinished) but would trade that feature for the durability of a varnish or polish. Is there a middle ground that provides durability while maintaining the aroma (maybe BLO, Tung Oil or some mix)? If not, is there a best recommended finish for high wear/water exposure?

Oh yeah, the reason I used cedar is simply because of the interesting color but came to really love the smell while machining it. I don't plan on staining the piece.

Any thoughts?

[Chrisgiraffe]

Oops. That's supposed to read, "for the durability of a varnish or poly".

Anyway, thanks in advance for your thoughts.

-Chris

[Charley]

You could put on a few coats of poly, and then get a can of cedar fresh spray scent to spray in there whenever you wanted it.

Charley

[dadiOH]

I'd leave it bare. A finish will kill the scent and "random water splashes/drops daily" really aren't going to hurt it.

[Dave]

I persume you have a piece of red cedar. Before you do any varnishing, poly, etc. test it on some scrap pieces. I did some wood burning on some red cedar that came out great, but as soon as I put a coat of poly on it I could not see the woodburning anymore. Think of a stained mahogany but with a very deep red color. you may end up destroying the beautiful wood grain & color. I even tried about 10 different types of finishes to see which one would NOT turn it dark... None passed my test.

Just something to think about

Dave FL

[SonomaProducts.com]

Finish it with Poly and use some of your scrap to create shavings for a Pot-pourri. You can make fresh ones every now and then.

in Wikipedia, cedar shavings are the first example given of Pot-pourri.

Also, you could just f> Hi,

[Kate]

I'm thinking that being trapped in a small room for extended periods of time with the scent of cedar may become annoying. Even though it might act as a natural room freshener, you might be better off to light a match.

Kate

Oh yeah, the reason I used cedar is simply because of the interesting color but came to really love the smell while machining it. I don't plan on staining the piece.

Any thoughts?

[Dave]

Not that you have any laying around but you can use an old pair of stockings to put the shavings/chips into.

Dave FL

"When cows laugh, does milk come out of their nose?" Sat. Night Live

[HerHusband]

We have a large walk-in shower (6'x6') and I built some corner shelves out of redwood I recycled from an old deck. I applied four coats of a Spar urethane on both sides and all edges, then used stainless steel screws to fasten it to the wall. The shelves are exposed to water daily from soap dishes, shampoo bottles, etc. and aren't showing any signs of damage after four years of use.

Spar urethane is available at most home centers and is often recommended for wet conditions like exterior doors. Spar urethane is supposedly used by boat builders to protect wood boats, so it should work fine in a bathroom. :)

Anthony

[Lee]

[DonkeyHody]

My parents always kept a box of kitchen matches on the back of the toilet. I never ever played with the matches but I did conduct a great many legitmate experiments with burning matches in the privacy of the bathroom, starting about age five. It's a wonder I didn't burn the house down. I never knew they made aerosol air fresheners until I was in college.

DonkeyHody "God takes care of fools and little children."