My friend and I constructed a blanket chest from red oak and lined it with aromatic red cedar. The inside top edge of the cedar (1/2 in thick) was covered with oak quarter round. All of the oak (but not the cedar) was finished with several coats of polyurethane. Now, after about 8 months, the quarter round – and only the quarter round – is sticky to the touch and the finish appears to be weeping down onto the cedar. The chest has been in a finished, climate-controlled basement here in the very low humidity Midwest. The lid has been closed. My thanks in advance for any ideas about this mystery.
Kingsun
Replies
This is an interaction between the vapors from the aromatic cedar and the oil-based varnish. I don't really know the chemistry involved, but it is a problem that is commonly reported. Shellac, or unfinished cedar, would be a better choice for that inside quarter round.
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