Hi,
I am building a new bedroom dresser and making the drawers with cherry wood fronts, poplar sides & back and birch plywood for the bottom. I was wondering about gluing some 1/4″ aromatic cedar to the poplar sides inside the drawer box. In looking at many books and articles on furniture making, I haven’t seen this done (other than in a blanket/cedar chest). Which makes me think it may not be a good idea. But I don’t see why, unless the aromatic cedar will scent or discolor clothes – although if it’s OK for a blanket chest?? It seem to be a plausable idea to me, but I’m just a neophyte, so I thought I’d ask for advice from others more experienced in furniture making. Thank you in advance for for comments.
Replies
I can't recall ever coming across your suggested construction method; one negative factor is that it takes up additional space. You could take a more traditional approach and simply replace your proposed plywood bottoms with cedar bottoms.
I am assuming that as you plan to use solid wood for all the other drawer parts, and presumably for some or all of the parts for the rest of the cabinet, that you have equipment to prepare wood prior to executing the joinery, ie, machine tools or hand tools. Preparing solid wood drawer bottoms is just one more task in the same mould really. Slainte.
richardjonesfurniture.com
The only problem I could see is the cedar does stop giving off aromatic oils after about a year unless you lightly sand it on an annual basis. I just toss a block of scrap in the drawer - about the size of a bar of soap. So far, that has kept the insects out.
I suspect the reason cedar is/was used in blanket chests is because wool was a common material for blankets for a long, long time. I would be concerned about using cedar to store clothes, which come in direct contact with skin. Some people could be sensitive to the cedar.
Not that the clothes are going to reek of cedar, but there will be some residue nevertheless. I would reserve cedar for blanket chests and perhaps a deep draswer that would hold sweaters.
"I suspect the reason cedar is/was used in blanket chests is because wool was a common material for blankets... "
fg, the reason cedar is a traditional material for cabinets that store cloth items are the resins, via the odours-- can't recall the name of the active ingredient right now, are, or were thought to discourage moths from laying their eggs and the growth of their cloth eating larvae. Slainte.
richardjonesfurniture.com
Edited 3/9/2009 5:26 am by SgianDubh
I know. That's why wools are supposed to be safe in the cedar chests. Also why I'm thinking it might not be the best place for things like ladies undees, LOL!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
My understanding is that in central US the biggest culprit of holes in clothing is the most disgusting of all insects, the silverfish (not a fish but an insect for the non-US folks), not moths. Not seen any holes in items stored in cedar chest for 50+ years.
I have made drawers for dresers of cedar for storing clothes with no ill effects. P.I.T.A. to work with, but not seen oils or sap leaching from it if dry.
>cedar does stop giving off aromatic oils after about a year<
I have a small amount of cedar behind the couch "acclimating" (or I ran out of places to store wood is more like it).
I never smell it. Queenmasteroftheuniverse came home the other day and asked why it smelled like a hamster cage in the living room. She doesn't care for cedar smell. I like it. But I couldn't smell it. Life is odd. Don't you think life is odd ? I do. Life is sure odd. Where was I ? . . . . . . . oh yah . . . anyway the cedar has been behind the couch for years so maybe when the humidity changes it puts out a bit o' the sent. Well that is what we thought up anyway. Not sure.
By the way there are a few sources I have read here and there that claim moths are not all that bothered by cedar in proximity to the cloth so I would do it more for the ambiance than for insectideterent. You could go with sachet with cedar as an ingredient. Dried Lavender flowers is another good one. Even for guys. Put it in a big tea bag like bag that you can get from the fufu store.
The larva laying was not addressed in what I read. I don't really know but I like cedar and have a project in the files to make using it in the drawers just for the sent but not to protect anything so I am following this.
roc
Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe. Abraham Lincoln ( 54° shaves )
marc ,
You could get some of the presliced T & G Aromatic Red Cedar and simply fit a few boards into the drawer , on top of the existing bottom .
Cedar is commonly used in closet packs and in other clothing storage areas , as always any number of common products can be irritants to some , while harmless to the masses .
It could be worse like Myrtle Wood leaves crushed in your hand and held close to your nose for a few good whiffs .
instant like Eucalyptus deeep Menthol sinus problem !
regards from Oregon , dusty
Oh boy!!!!
What you want to do sounds OK. Never, ever, ever use cedar ( virgina red cyprus) as the drawer side itself. Trust me , it will ooze sap that will cement the drawer side to anything it touches if you leave it unfinished.If you finish it, you will never smell the cedar. Please do not ask me how I know this as it involves a Late Georgian secretary made out of plum pudding mahoghany that took a year to make.
Also trust me that T&G cedar moves alot and in the winter you will find gaps in the boards if you dry fit it in dados for a drawer bottom.
Frank
Edited 3/8/2009 8:18 pm ET by Biscardi
I sometimes use aromic cedar in my drawers b ut I just use it for the bottems. I usually cut the bottem of the drawer box back short so I can slide the bottem in from the back side and I secure it with a screw. This way I can finish the drawer box seperatly and I can install the bottem afterwards and I always have the option of removing the bottem the scuff sand it to rejuvinate thhe scent.
Hm. Not so sure about the oft-repeated maxim that cedar repels moths...
I read an article some years ago that claimed cedar had no moth-repelling properties. The reason cedar chests were thought to keep clothing moth-free, the article stated, is that the chests are virtually airtight and the moths can't get inside.
Also, from my understanding - and someone can correct me (and will, I'm sure, eagerly) if I'm wrong - moths aren't actually attracted to the clothing itself. They gnaw on bits of spilled soup and butter and other food items that were spilled onto or sopped up by the fabric. Again, from what I understand of the matter, if you store clothing that is clean, moths won't chew holes in it..
Anyone else heard of this?
ZoltonIf you see a possum running around in here, kill it. It's not a pet. - Jackie Moon
Well, I had about half of it half right...
Here's some pretty definitive-sounding information on the subject of moths and cedar..
http://www.ca.uky.edu/entomology/entfacts/ef609.asp
ZoltonIf you see a possum running around in here, kill it. It's not a pet. - Jackie Moon
>moths aren't actually attracted to the clothing itself. They gnaw on bits of spilled soup and butter and other food items that were spilled onto or sopped up by the fabric. Again, from what I understand of the matter, if you store clothing that is clean, moths won't chew holes in it..Anyone else heard of this?<I have two clean Pendleton blankets that had no food on them. Now they have all these traks where they were eaten down to the cords that the wool was woven on. We stayed with a friend for a month and when we got home the blankets were like this. Did not see any silver fish. Though I know what they look like. I don't know if it was larva or mature moths though I think it was the mature moths that got em. Very frustrating.rocGive me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe. Abraham Lincoln ( 54° shaves )
Mark,
I have made many dresser drawers with cedar bottoms. I have never had any problems with them. It will move just like any wood does, so take that into account.
SAM
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