I am making a cherry sideboard and plan to finish it with a mixture of linseed oil, varnish and mineral spirits based on a recipe from FWW. I’ve used this before and like it, but the first time I used it on a blanket chest I made the mistake of finishing the interior as well. After some months, the odor of the finish remains (not unpleasant, but significant). I like the continuity of color that I get by finishing the insides and outsides with the same finish, but don’t want the smell. I’ve read that I should use shellac in cabinet interiors, but I’m wondering if anyone has suggestions about how to make the transitions from the oil finish to the shellac finish, eg., from the front edges of the cabinet to the interior surfaces, especially where there is no sharp demarcation between the surfaces. Would I need to finish the insides and outsides of doors differently as well? Are there oil finishes that will not have an odor? Lots of questions!
Thanks for the help.
Bob
Replies
All oil finishes and all oil based finishes will have a long term odor. The odor is a particular problem in an enclosed space as it concentrates the continuing off gasing. If you store cloth items or open food, the odor will permeate them. If you are storing other items, the odor may not be important.
I don't know your design but I would avoid your oil/varnish finish on any surface that is inside when the doors are closed.
Before you apply any finish, you should run some tests on scrap samples from your project. I would guess that amber shellac would look very close to your planned oil/varnish finish. The inside is not going to be as noticeable so a little difference should not be a problem. Use the oil/varnish first and bring it up to a natural dividing spot. A little slop over is not a problem. Then, mask off the oil/varnish and apply the shellac. One coat should be enough The inside of the doors will have to be shellac also.
Finally, create some vents in the back of the cabinet to let fresh air circulate. I've even drilled some holes in the bottom to promote air circulation.
BTW, you can deal with the odor in your blanket chest by carefully coating the inside with shellac. Get into all the nooks and crannies. The shellac will act as a barrier to the off-gasing.
Howie.........
Edited 8/31/2006 11:25 am ET by HowardAcheson
Thanks very much for the input.
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