Waterlox over cedar?

[Tom Lewis]

I picked up a lot of "Fine Woodworking" magazines at a library book sale. In the Sept./Oct. 1997 on pg. 6 someone wrote in that they had covered cedar with Waterlox and it remained in perfect shape.
Has anyone else tried this?
I cut down a large cedar tree and have made a number of bowls and platters out of it. Even when I use shellac I have had some problem with some of the finish getting tacky.

 

[Bernie Weishapl]

I have used Waterlox and General Finishes Seal-A-Cell then Arm-R-Seal with good luck on cedar. I also use Deft spray lacquer or spray poly with good luck also. One thing I found out though is cedar has to be bone dry.

 

[MichaelMouse]

Which "cedar" are you speaking of? Some are less oily that others, and some seep resin eternally, making them poor candidates for oil finishes. Lacquer or shellac seals are commonly used, even when the boards have been resin-set in the kiln.

 

[Tom Lewis]

The author called it "aromatic cedar"

 

[waltben]

Cedar stuff

I've made several pieces out of red cedar. Cedar has oils that will keep most oil finishes from hardening. I've been successful by wiping a finished piece with mineral spirits (paint thinner), letting it dry, and then applying a wipe-on poly finish from Woodcraft (not polyurethane). I've no idea if anything else will work, but I know this will.

 

[MichaelMouse]

Aromatic (eastern red) has resin pockets that will ruin oil finishes. It also has a lot of oils that you use to make it look sharp when burnishing on the lathe. Little bit of heat brings them right up to the surface. On some resinous woods you can actually see the stuff drying on the surface with a low angle light light.

If you're going to use an oil finish, seal with shellac or lacquer. Neither are affected by oils, not sharing a common solvent. They'll give you protection against all but the worst.