I'm about to start a project for a wedding gift for my son and his fiance. I plan to make a blanket chest. It will be of Pennsylvania Dutch style similar to the picture on the cover of August 09 Popular woodworking. I am going to make it out of cherry.

My question is, is aromatic cedar really helpful? And if I should add this to the interior, how much is needed.

The design will have a drawer in the bottom and above that will be the main box for blanket storage. I thought I'd use a cedar frame and panel section to separate the two areas. So the bottom of the case would be cedar and it would be the dust frame and ceiling to the drawer. I am also going to incorporate a till for small storage, using it as a lid stay as well when opened. This could also be made of cedar.

Do I need aromatic cedar at all and if so is this enough? or do I need to line all the inside of the box with it?

__________________
Wayne

Kapex, Domino, Trion PS 300, RO 150, ETS 150/3, Deltex 93, 2 CT 33's, OF 1400, MFT/3...

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Wayne,

Personally... I disike the pinkish look within aromatic cedar, I prefer the look and aroma of Spanish Cedar. It's the wood of choice for humadors as well, and if I were to cuddle up with a blanket with the aroma between the two it would be my choice as well. I would go with the solid stock rather than the veneer and completely line it inside or just go with the entire chest with it!

see....

Cedrela - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Pacific Blanket Chest - Fine Woodworking


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Well is the aroma of the cedar just for the pleasant smell? or is it supposed to keep moths away? or have another purpose?

I planned on sealing the inside of the cherry case with shelac to seal against odor and doing an oil finish on the outside. Then let the cedar on the inside do its thing... whatever that is.

I just missed out on 650 board feet of nice rough cut cedar on craigs lis for 500.00. Some was western red cedar and the bulk was what he called white cedar.

__________________
Wayne

Kapex, Domino, Trion PS 300, RO 150, ETS 150/3, Deltex 93, 2 CT 33's, OF 1400, MFT/3...

The cedar used to be used as an insect deterrant. Thats almost a moot issue anymore, and I suspect the aromatic cedar is used now for nostalgia. It would still serve the purpose - if wool blankets and moths were in the same area but I don't think it's a must. Its a nicety.
You did well by avoiding the CL deal. Rough cut, air dried cedar is just a hair above firewood. I can buy it down the road for about 40 cents a board foot, and you absolutely get what you pay for. You'd need 500 bf to get enough usable wood for a respectable looking chest. It is very prone to knots and splits. Just the way the tree grows.
If you want the aroma and don't want to line the piece, build the chest, and go get a couple of scraps of aromatic cedar and just lay them in the bottom.

I prefer the aroma of aromatic cedar but all cedars smell great when planed. A tight fitting lid is sufficient to repel moths but it's wonderful to get a whiff of cedar every time you open the lid.

Maybe just make the drawer and tray bottoms with built up panels of cedar.

Wayne,
It depends to some extent what part of the country the newlyweds are going to live as to the extent of a problem cloth moths are. As Rick says, it's really an old school preventative before the days of hermetically sealed plastics, etc. and is mostly effective with the small cloth moth larvae and only for 2-3 years (life of the cedar aroma). As Rick also suggests, your best choice will probably be to build the chest from your preferred wood(s) and throw 2 or 3 pieces of the cedar in the bottom that can be replaced every few years.

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a 2009 Festool® catalog, 2010 Festool® catalog supplement requested.

"In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is." - Yogi Berra (1925-)

"Whether you THINK YOU CAN, or THINK YOU CAN'T, You're right!"

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Thanks for all the suggestions. I was thinking it wasn't as necessary to use the cedar these day but wasn't sure why. Probably more synthetic fabrics aren't as tasty as wool I'm guessing. I know I have never seen a moth in my house or at least one that ate holes in anything.

My original plan was to make the case bottom with frame and panel out of cedar and that would also be the roof of the drawer. I suppose I can use cedar there, if it will help or not, so they can call it a cedar chest and enjoy the aroma. As for their brand of moth, they are in North Carolina.

__________________
Wayne

Kapex, Domino, Trion PS 300, RO 150, ETS 150/3, Deltex 93, 2 CT 33's, OF 1400, MFT/3...

I'd also like to have a hidden storage area as well but haven't got any ideas. I will have a small box on one side so that the lid will be a lid stay for the chest Maybe I can figure something in that area that is hidden.

__________________
Wayne

Kapex, Domino, Trion PS 300, RO 150, ETS 150/3, Deltex 93, 2 CT 33's, OF 1400, MFT/3...

I love those in the old movies...

__________________
a 2009 Festool® catalog, 2010 Festool® catalog supplement requested.

"In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is." - Yogi Berra (1925-)

"Whether you THINK YOU CAN, or THINK YOU CAN'T, You're right!"

"When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don't adjust the goals, adjust the action steps." Confucius (551-479 BCE) philosopher

I'm making a coffee table for my daughter that I designed a secret compartment. Still in the design stages but when I get it started I'll post some pics. So I still gotta figure out how to incoporate one in the cedar chest.

__________________
Wayne

Kapex, Domino, Trion PS 300, RO 150, ETS 150/3, Deltex 93, 2 CT 33's, OF 1400, MFT/3...