# cedar bowl finish



## LEAP (Aug 11, 2008)

I'm working a couple of bowls in red cedar and was wondering if anyone has used a finish on cedar that won't seal in the smell.


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## MobilMan (Aug 12, 2008)

You might leave the bottom unfinished.   About the same question was asked on the Ubeaut forum.


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## fiferb (Aug 12, 2008)

I think even if you didn't put a finish on it the smell would diminish over short period of time. Then you'd have to use some sandpaper to expose fresh wood to renew the smell.


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## Gary Max (Aug 12, 2008)

Buff is one light coat of Johnsons paste wax while it's still on the lathe.


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## ahoiberg (Aug 12, 2008)

i agree with gary.


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## Fred (Aug 12, 2008)

If you know someone in the medical profession you might get them to obtain a bottle of Cedar oil for you. I have no idea what the medical profession used Cedar oil for, but somewhere along the way someone told me t was used to make pills.

I have a pint bottle from my father's stuff. He used it to add the Cedar smell to walk in closets he built 40 years ago. A drop or two on the Cedarwood was all he used. The smell is just s "fresh" now as back then.


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## redfishsc (Aug 12, 2008)

The smell will go away, the speed of the vanishing will depend on how many knots you have in the bowl. The smell is particularly strong around knot holes, apparently because of resin content being so high in a knot. 

My personal opinion on cedar: finish like you would any other bowl and let the beauty of the wood (of which there is PLENTY in cedar) shine through. 

A bowl that is only sorta-finished will eventually lose it's smell, and in a year you will have a non-cedar smelling bowl that looks like it needs a finish on it.


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## LEAP (Aug 13, 2008)

Thanks folks, I decided to give it a tung oil finish and wax buff. It darkened a bit but still looks interesting. Next one  I'll try lacquer to see if it will hold it's color.


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## toolcrazy (Aug 14, 2008)

LEAP said:


> Thanks folks, I decided to give it a tung oil finish and wax buff. It darkened a bit but still looks interesting. Next one  I'll try lacquer to see if it will hold it's color.



I think the only way to stop Cedar from changing color is a UV protected finish and even then, it will still change. The red always turns brown.


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