Doomwolf Posted May 26, 2015 Report Share Posted May 26, 2015 Quick question - a few months ago I saw someone mention in a post that he was lining a chest with some sort of paper because apparently it's not good for fabric/quilts to be in contact with wood for a long period of time. Is that true, and if so, what is the proper lining material to use? Background: on Saturday I moved into my new condo(!) which does not have a linen closet on top floor. I am using a blanket chest that I made last year to hold linens and blankets. The chest is white pine, sealed with 2 or 3 (I think 3) coats of shellac. I have some quilts in there that my mother made for me and I want to ensure they are stored correctly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted May 26, 2015 Report Share Posted May 26, 2015 Sounds contrary to the popularity of cedar chests, in which the interior is left raw so the aroma will supposedly repel insects. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnDi Posted May 26, 2015 Report Share Posted May 26, 2015 The BORG sells T & G cedar boards for lining closets. I used those on the bottom of a chest ala Norm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doomwolf Posted May 26, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 26, 2015 The issue I have heard reference to is that oils in the wood contain acids that will degrade/destroy the fabric over time, but some of the references I am pulling up on Google are only referring to unfinished wood (mine is sealed with shellac). http://www.quilting101.com/care/quilt-storage http://www.si.edu/Encyclopedia_si/nmah/antqtext.htm http://www.mohistory.org/img/unCommonThreadsSite/preserving_treasures.pdf http://www.nationalww2museum.org/give/donate-an-artifact/preservation-of-artifacts.html?referrer=https://www.google.ca/ I have some friends who have done a little conservation work in the past, I will drop them a line and see if they know anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted May 27, 2015 Report Share Posted May 27, 2015 Some environmental conditions (very high humidity & heat) may cause recently applied shellac to soften and stick to fabrics, but once the shellac is fully cured, I think it would be quite safe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beechwood Chip Posted May 27, 2015 Report Share Posted May 27, 2015 Are we talking linen closet, or are we talking preserving historical artifacts. If I had the first American flag sewn by Betsy Ross, I wouldn't store it in contact with wood, finished or unfinished. I'd probably sell or give it to a museum that could provide the appropriate environment. But my sheets and towels will probably be replaced in a few years anyway, so anything is fine as long as moths and mildew don't get to them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doomwolf Posted June 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 1, 2015 The shellac was applied in October, so I hope it's cured by now. Nothing in there is a rare historical artifact, but my Mom is a quilter, and every quilt she's made for me is in that box (less the ones on my bed). One of the aforementioned friends is on contract as a guide at a museum, and he said he'd talk with the conservators there and see what they said. He didn't think it would be a problem either though. Overall I'm getting the sense that there shouldn't be any issues. I just bring it up because, even sealed with shellac, there is a definite pine smell in the box. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denette Posted June 1, 2015 Report Share Posted June 1, 2015 Call me crazy, but wasn't this a topic on WoodTalk a couple of months ago? Something about a guy wanting to seal the cedar inside his cedar chest to protect the contents, but how that would seal in the cedar's bug repelling effects too. Anyone else remember that one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted June 2, 2015 Report Share Posted June 2, 2015 Sounds familiar, but can't recall which episode. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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