Mikericks Posted February 15, 2021 Report Share Posted February 15, 2021 I am refinishing my grandmother’s cedar chest. Circa 1930? finish did not respond to lacquer thinner or denatured alcohol, so I sanded away. (Just the lid for now) I am up to 220 by hand and love the look and feel just the way it is. Can I leave it in the raw ? Box will be decorative storage in a spare bedroom so it shouldn’t see much abuse. Will the finish police track me down ? side note: after 90 years, the knots still gummed up my sandpaper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted February 16, 2021 Report Share Posted February 16, 2021 You can certainly leave it raw, but don't expect that freshly-sanded feeling to last. Humidity changes will soon make the surface feel rough as the wood fibers absorb moisture. And dirt, don't forget dirt. But if you want it to look like old barnwood, just wait a bit. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark J Posted February 16, 2021 Report Share Posted February 16, 2021 I agree with wtnhighlander. It's likely the surface will accumulate dirt from handling and will be difficult to clean withou a surface coating. And there's humidity. A bare surface can work for some dense oily woods like cocobolo or ebony. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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