This is a Lane cedar chest from mid-century. The wood of the lid is unfinished, unvarnished, bare wood. The tag inside says it is walnut. The lid is getting more dried out and has some watermarks in places. There are 2 pics that are close ups of the wood lid (outside).
This will probably be a very slow process unless you are used to doing refinishing work.
I cannot tell from your pictures if the wood on the top is starting to separate but if that is the case you may have to talk to a professional about doing that repair.
I do not believe you can just clean the wood and expect it to look good or to be safe for very long as it looks like the top is pretty rough.
You'll have to decide if you wish to refurbish just the top or the complete chest but the first step will be to sand whatever you decide needs to be done.
After that decision then you'll have to decide if you are going to sand it be hand or if you will use a hand sanding machine.
There are certain steps to follow next but you will need detailed instructions for that and since there are several ways to do this it would be best if you looked at some videos and read several articles.
These will also let you know what type of job you will be undertaking as that is the first decision - can I do it/do I want to do it?
www.google.com/
homeguides.sfgate.com/
I normally use a wood wax on all of my wood items here in my home. I live in the tropics and wood does dry out here. I know they have a wood paste or wax that people use on hardwood floors. This is a great way to add back life to the wood and stop it from drying out more. You basically brush this on with a paintbrush and then allow it to dry. After this you will take a clean cloth and buff out the wax and it will add a natural shine to the wood and also help protect the wood.
I have a cedar chest that was mine as a young girl. The top is now gone and for many, many years it has held toys for my kids (now grown) a nephew, and now my grandson. I love the old chest and now that I'm older I appreciate it.
I would love to strip off all the old paint, have a new lid made and try to restore it. My question is how do you get the old cedar smell back or does it just die out and can't be revived? I'm just curious if anyone would know.
By Sharon, KY
I believe you can restore the cedar ordor by sanding with fine sand paper. I bought cedar hearts to hang in the closet and it came with sand paper to restore the odor when it faded.
I am refinishing an old Lane cedar chest, style 610115-E. I need an original photo or ad so I can see what it looks like.
What do you use to strip varnish off the chest and what would you to put back on the chest?
By Kervin
If you visit a store that sells paint products, you will find products to use. You may find booklets or books that will help you. You could search on Youtube for information as well.
2 gallons of varnish stripper or the kind to remove paint it's gummy like not like water. You can tell which one is which when you pick it up and give it a gentle shake; one sounds more sloshy than the other.
steel wood pads w/o soap
paint brush
a lot of old rags
screwdriver
catch all container (for liquid stripper only)
"thick" non rubber gloves
Remove all knobs, drawer pulls, chains first
Put wood item in the catch all and with paint brush, keep stripper brushed over the surface doing one side at a time until you have only the raw wood showing. With rag, swipe off cleaned off wood in direction of grain. Wrap screwdriver edge with old cloth to get into corners/crevices/drawer pull holes.
At this point, repeat procedure on all sides before doing this next step: Use steel wool pad in direction of wood grain to smooth the grain and wipe off the dust with a lightly dampened rag only. Continue to wipe with clean old rags until all dust/debris is removed. The key is to stay with the grain only for a smooth surface.
When the raw wood is cleaned well and looks even in coloring and is totally dry then you can stain with a clean cloth or leave natural wood and paint Varathane over the surface in light layers repeating after each is dried. You have choices of clear gloss, semigloss, satin finishes.
From experience, I've tried the gummy stripper on stain/varnish/shellac and it's a real mess to clean/wipe off. It's my opinion the liquid stripper remover works best and fastest. It's also able to be used again over the wood until too much varnish/stain/shellac is added to the solution making it too thick to work with and doesn't remove all, but rather puts it back on making the wood look darkened. With practice, you'll know when it's time to change the old for the new stripper.
If you're good with an electric sander, you could also remove the old finish and go with the grain; use the finest grain of sandpaper as a final sand job and wipe off all dust/debris from surface continually using a clean rag and then with a slightly dampened clean cloth go with the grain and wipe off any remainder. If the rag becomes dirty; get another clean rag and do it again.
Use a steel wool pad without soap going with grain if the wood isn't smooth enough and wipe off dust as stated above. Apply your choice of finishes as directed on label and let dry.
I want to paint the inside of a cedar chest which is unvarnished, does it have to be sealed or does the paint do it? I am repurposing it without the lid.
I tried stripping with electric sanders and it gums up the sand paper then I used a belt sander and it gummed up the sand paper, so I used chemical and it was a mess, what I settled on was electric planner and was able to strip of a 1/84 slice and it took it down to the wood, then I came back with sand paper, it worked the best and a lot less trouble
I have a Lane cedar chest in great condition inside and poor condition outside. It was made in Alta Vista California:
Serial - 431531
Date - 10/9/38
I think you should restore it.
How do I repair a cedar chest with brittle and dry wood?
You would have to remove the damaged wood, make a template and put new wood in. Instructions are here:
There are some nice videos on YouTube. Here is a sample:
www.youtube.com/
It is a lot of work. It could be quite rewarding if you are handy!
I believe this a question that would require more information for anyone to really help you.
1) What type of damage are your referring to? Dried out sides? Bottom? Top? or legs?
2) Do you have knowledge and experience in doing repairs like this or will this be beginner's job? This is very important as most instructions are given for people with at least working knowledge of repairing furniture.
3) Do you have any type of woodworking tools or will this be done with just normal home tools?
4) Is this a keepsake or will it be okay if it does not turn out the way you envision?
5) How much did you plan to spend on this project?
I would suggest you think about these questions and maybe take several good pictures (cell phone may be okay) and pay a visit to your local Home Depot or Lowe's and ask them for help.
I have found they have some very good employees that should be able to help you with how much wood and other materials you will need and they probably have some free repair videos that might help you. There are also several books/magazines available that may have something on repairs (or make a trip to your library).
How does one refresh an old cedar closet?
By Olga from Houston, TX
If you mean to bring the scent back, I would think just a real light sanding with a fine grade of sand paper would work.
Sanding will do the trick. An easy way is to sand with a sanding sponge. You will have better control. Hope this helps.