Ok, so I'm building my first drawers and wanted people's thoughts on
finishing the inside. The wood should be maple and plywood and I definitely
don't want the clothes to smell or get residue on them. Should I finish
them at all? Maybe use diluted shellac and follow with Wax?
Let me know, but please be gentle!
Thanks!
I always give the drawer innards a coat of polyurethane or shellac.
Anything that minimizes wood movement is good. And they are easier to
clean.
Bob
"Jennnk" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Ok, so I'm building my first drawers and wanted people's thoughts on
> finishing the inside. The wood should be maple and plywood and I
definitely
> don't want the clothes to smell or get residue on them. Should I finish
> them at all? Maybe use diluted shellac and follow with Wax?
>
> Let me know, but please be gentle!
>
> Thanks!
>
>
>
I, for one, don't like to finish the insides of drawers I build. I've built
a lot of projects with maple and if it's been properly dried there is no
smell or residue to deal with. I like a well sanded and smoothed drawer
interior of raw wood. You'll find most commerical furniture is built this
way as well. I've had a lot of luck building drawer sides using thin stock
sycamore. It's cheap (in the midwest anyway), sands out nice with an
interesting grain pattern/texture to it.
Another consideration is how the drawer is contructed and slides. If there
are no mechanical slides (i.e. it's a wood drawer meant to fit snugly in a
solid wood opening) you may want to finish the drawer to minimize wood
movement that could change the fit and slide of your drawer. With a typical
drawer with a mechanical drawer slide, movement isn't an issue though.
Gary
"Jennnk" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Ok, so I'm building my first drawers and wanted people's thoughts on
> finishing the inside. The wood should be maple and plywood and I
definitely
> don't want the clothes to smell or get residue on them. Should I finish
> them at all? Maybe use diluted shellac and follow with Wax?
>
> Let me know, but please be gentle!
>
> Thanks!
>
>
>
"Swingman" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> A couple of coats of brushed on shellac on the raw wood (Zinsser's Bulls Eye
> SealCoat works well right out of the can). No need to wax.
Ding ding ding! I'll second this. Shellac is a better sealer than poly
and/or lacquer, and of course dries way faster than poly. Not to
mention the smell is far more tolerable than either. Porous woods will
tend to suck lacquer right into themselves. If you prefer the feel and
appearance of raw wood, cut the stuff 2:1 with denatured alcohol, and
then wipe instead of brushing. Make sure you've got adequate
ventilation and don't get the alcohol/shellac on your skin. Didn't
know this was going to turn into a shellacking treatise, but while
doing typesy-typesy, I recalled a pair of geniuses who applied
shellac-based primer in an enclosed space and became thoroughly
intoxicated.
O'Deen
--
http://www.klownhammer.org
Tom Watson <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> On 13 Oct 2003 07:49:13 -0700, [email protected] (Patrick Olguin)
> wrote:
>
> >
> >Ding ding ding! I'll second this. Shellac is a better sealer than poly
> >and/or lacquer, and of course dries way faster than poly.
>
> Is it really a better sealer than nitro lacquer? I'm not even being a
> smart ass (at present) but I'd like to know why that would be true.
I don't have anything clever like lower molecular weight, but it's
true. And those sanding sealers - many of 'em are shellac-based (as
mentioned by someone else in this thread).
As regarding your aluminum cup and the alcohol wreaking havoc onnit,
there's something to be said for wiping shellac when it comes to
sealing drawers and other fittings. It's just too much hassle to spray
(even largish schtuff), when you can fill a bowl with shellac, dip
your rag in it, wipe down the surface and call it done. I know you
been spraying (and I'm not just referring to marking territory in the
middle of the night) finishes for a long time, Watsoni, but there are
times when the problem calls for a hand-job.
O'Deen
Tom Watson <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> ps: I'm working on a ten-year-old-bourbon / dewaxed blond solution.
> This has worked well in the past, on a social level, but I am
> intrigued by it's possibilities in the regard of woodfinishing.
Ya know, I can see many similarities between the vagaries of
finishing, and a person's so-called "reordered priorities." For
example, in both cases you more than likely to encounter blushing,
adequate penetration of the finish/dye/stain, water-based stain,
high-solids film, fast-drying, runs, drips, hopefully no sags. wiping
vs. spraying, multiplie coatings, spills, and requirements for
adequate ventilation.
If you're concerned about your appearance as a perfeshunell, look no
further than Northeast Ahiya, where Jeff Jewitt has his visage
splashed all over books touting hand-applied finishes ;).
Ok, I think we've taken this far enough afield.
O'Deen
--
http://www.klownhammer.org
A couple of coats of brushed on shellac on the raw wood (Zinsser's Bulls Eye
SealCoat works well right out of the can). No need to wax.
--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 9/21/03
"Jennnk" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Ok, so I'm building my first drawers and wanted people's thoughts on
> finishing the inside. The wood should be maple and plywood and I
definitely
> don't want the clothes to smell or get residue on them. Should I finish
> them at all? Maybe use diluted shellac and follow with Wax?
>
> Let me know, but please be gentle!
>
> Thanks!
>
>
>
On 20 Oct 2003 17:22:58 -0700, [email protected] (Patrick Olguin)
wrote:
>
>I don't have anything clever like lower molecular weight, but it's
>true.
I'm a little disappointed 'cause I really liked the 'low molecular
weight' thing and anything less is just...less.
> And those sanding sealers - many of 'em are shellac-based (as
>mentioned by someone else in this thread).
Because you took so damned long to reply (I'm guessing this is the
result of reordered priorities amongst the newly married) I went
looking for the data and, low and behold, FPL did a study that proves
you right. 'Course Two Part Poly is an even better barrier but until
they configure it so that it will dry as fast as shellacky or lacquer,
it ain't gonna fly because it just clogs up the shop, timewise and
dustwise.
>
>As regarding your aluminum cup and the alcohol wreaking havoc onnit,
>there's something to be said for wiping shellac when it comes to
>sealing drawers and other fittings. It's just too much hassle to spray
>(even largish schtuff), when you can fill a bowl with shellac, dip
>your rag in it, wipe down the surface and call it done.
Shazzam, O'Deen ! How can I feel like a perfeshenel with a stupid rag
in my hand?
> I know you
>been spraying (and I'm not just referring to marking territory in the
>middle of the night) finishes for a long time, Watsoni, but there are
>times when the problem calls for a hand-job.
See Supra Re; "reordered priorities, etc."
ps: I'm working on a ten-year-old-bourbon / dewaxed blond solution.
This has worked well in the past, on a social level, but I am
intrigued by it's possibilities in the regard of woodfinishing.
Y.O.B.
Regards, Tom
Thomas J. Watson-Cabinetmaker
Gulph Mills, Pennsylvania
http://users.snip.net/~tjwatson
Tom Watson wrote:
> Is it really a better sealer than nitro lacquer? I'm not even being a
> smart ass (at present) but I'd like to know why that would be true.
yes -- many sealers (e.g. Zinser Sealcoat) are shellac-based
Quoting from Flexner:
Shellac: Pros - excellent barrier to water vapor
Laquer: Cons - only moderate resistance to water vapor
--
************************************
Chris Merrill
[email protected]
(remove the ZZZ to contact me)
************************************
Drawers and Doors are the biggest call back that shops get in this business.
When you cam minimize that to just about zero then you must be doing
something right.
Yes mine are in that area
Production furniture companies do not finish their drawers to cut costs.
I spray all my drawers with several coats of lacquer and always tend to be
complimented about them from my customers.
Ironically it is quite often that I am in someones house doing an
installation and my clients will tend to get me to do a few repair's
9 out of 10 times it is on a unfinished dovetailed drawer that sort of fell
apart.
We won't talk about kitchen cabinets drawers that people bring me for
repairs----Egads just when i thought i have seen all the cheap shit out
there some one brings me a drawer that defies all odds.
I do know lots of shops that do not finish their drawers but then again the
outsides look a mess also.
No matter what you use there will be a scent of finish material while the
solvents are eveaporating but this soon goes away
A little extra purfume or cologne in those sachets will undoubtably kill
from there.
Good Luck,
George
"Jennnk" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Ok, so I'm building my first drawers and wanted people's thoughts on
> finishing the inside. The wood should be maple and plywood and I
definitely
> don't want the clothes to smell or get residue on them. Should I finish
> them at all? Maybe use diluted shellac and follow with Wax?
>
> Let me know, but please be gentle!
>
> Thanks!
>
>
>
I lacquer mine as well, almost all of mine are mechanical slides, some
wood and I still cover them. My wife is a cleaner (freak) and she likes
to wipe them out from time to time so they must be covered with
something and I won't let her put the plastic stick on stuff that her
grandmother used.
Jennnk wrote:
> Ok, so I'm building my first drawers and wanted people's thoughts on
> finishing the inside. The wood should be maple and plywood and I definitely
> don't want the clothes to smell or get residue on them. Should I finish
> them at all? Maybe use diluted shellac and follow with Wax?
>
> Let me know, but please be gentle!
>
> Thanks!
>
>
>
On 13 Oct 2003 07:49:13 -0700, [email protected] (Patrick Olguin)
wrote:
>
>Ding ding ding! I'll second this. Shellac is a better sealer than poly
>and/or lacquer, and of course dries way faster than poly.
Is it really a better sealer than nitro lacquer? I'm not even being a
smart ass (at present) but I'd like to know why that would be true.
If'n it is true, I'd use it in preference to the lacquer on things
like fittings to be used for clothing, as the lacquer smell does
linger and, depending on final thickness and finishing schedule, the
offgassing can be fairly prolonged. I've had customers complain about
the smell getting into their clothing. (this mostly from wimmens who
will gladly put lacquer on their hair but don't like it in their
undies).
> Not to
>mention the smell is far more tolerable than either. Porous woods will
>tend to suck lacquer right into themselves.
Yeah, but we got sanding sealers that do a pretty good job on this.
I'd be more willing to use the shellacky in drawers if it didn't have
that little problem of messing up my aluminium spray gun cup when left
overnight.
> If you prefer the feel and
>appearance of raw wood, cut the stuff 2:1 with denatured alcohol, and
>then wipe instead of brushing. Make sure you've got adequate
>ventilation and don't get the alcohol/shellac on your skin. Didn't
>know this was going to turn into a shellacking treatise, but while
>doing typesy-typesy, I recalled a pair of geniuses who applied
>shellac-based primer in an enclosed space and became thoroughly
>intoxicated.
I always thought of that as a freebie fringe benefit (now I'm being a
smartass). To drop down into non-smartass gear again, when I'm going
to be spraying for a full day I often wear these spiffy Tyvek bunny
suits as I've already burned out enough brain cells to be happy most
of the time and don't want to take it too far.
What's the real deal on transdermal absorbtion of alcohol/shellac when
sprayed?
Regards, Tom
Thomas J. Watson-Cabinetmaker
Gulph Mills, Pennsylvania
http://users.snip.net/~tjwatson